Review: "Fire from the Sky" by Moa Backe Åstot

Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot
Translated by Eva Apelqvist
Published September 2023 via Levine Querido
★★★

In northern Sweden, Ánte is sure of a few things: he loves the traditions of his Sámi upbringing. He loves his village and can't imagine a future somewhere else. He loves his best friend, Erik—and he also can't see a life in which he can be both a reindeer herder and gay, something all but unheard of in his village.

I read this largely because I have read precious few books that take place among reindeer-herding communities (maybe 2) and even fewer by writers who are themselves Sámi (0). I love that this presents a modern take: Ánte is a reindeer herder, yes, but he's also a teenage boy who wants to hang out with his friends, play video games, and go to parties. Reindeer herding is in his blood, in his past and present and future, but it's largely in the background of the book. That feels very realistic for this day and age, and I'm here for that.

There's also a fascinating side plot about a book Ánte ends up with, one that is in part based on Herman Bernhard Lundborg (d. 1943) and his work. The short version: racism is everywhere, and the Sámi, like other minorities, were subject to scientists hell-bent on their eugenics-heavy theories. It's a piece of history I wasn't aware of (I'm only loosely familiar present-day struggles for Sámi rights—basically, the few things that make it into the mainstream news—and not at all with historical struggles), and it's one of the things that troubles Ánte throughout the book.

The book is translated from Swedish, and I'm not sure if it's the original writing or the translation but the phrasing does get quite awkward in places. This is perhaps exacerbated by Ánte's situation—he is an angsty teenager trying to figure out how he can reconcile two parts of his identity—but it sometimes took me clear out of the story. (That said: the copy I read had yet to be proofread, so the final English version may feel smoother.)

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.