The year is 1903, and two men from the small village of Butangen, Norway have found themselves in unfamiliar circumstances. Young Jehans Hekne is an outcast from the family farm comfortable in his solitude—but all that changes once he shoots a massive reindeer. Meanwhile, Pastor Kai Schweigaard grapples with guilt over the removal of the old stave church, convinced that only a riddle in an ancient tapestry can save him. The Reindeer Hunters is a magnificent story about taming waterfalls, superstition and old legends, the first flash of electric light in the village night, and above all, intergenerational reverberations of love, sorrow, and courage. It is the second volume in the bestselling Sister Bells trilogy, which spans 80 years of Norwegian and European history.
Praise
“The world Mytting creates is immersive, including descriptions of reindeer hunting and the feel of a scythe on a whetstone. The result is a fascinating story with centuries old echoes, their muted peal resonating like the separated sister bells.”Booklist
—
“The first novel of the trilogy was a hard act to follow, but Mytting has triumphed again with this sequel. As in the earlier novel, Deborah Dawkin is a sensitive translator. The books can be read as standalones, but there is a different richness in the combination, just as there is in the sound of two bells rung together rather than apart.”Historical Novels Review
—
“A masterful and spellbinding piece of storytelling . . . The stories of three men are superbly merged, with each chapter having an enigmatic end – not wanting to end, but then instantly engrossing with the beginning of next chapter. The magnificently developed characters engage with their stories, exploring the ups and downs that life throws at them . . . A spellbinding tale with beautifully explored themes of life.”Mystery and Suspense Magazine
—
“Lars Mytting’s epic, enchanting historical novel The Reindeer Hunters ushers a remote Norwegian village into the modern age . . . In this spellbinding historical saga, love and lore have an alchemistic effect.”Foreword Reviews, *starred* review
—
