Punished by Ann-Helén Laestadius: Book Review

Punished is the most recent book by Ann-Helén Laestadius to be translated into English. With an expected release date of February 4, 2025, it takes readers to the 1950s near the Artic Circle. A group of seven-year-olds are being taken from their families and sent to a “nomad school.” The kids are being forced to learn a new language and taught their family traditions are bad.

I want to thank Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Punished. However, all opinions expressed here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

In the 1950s, near the Arctic Circle, seven-year-olds Jon-Ante, Else-Maj, Nilsa, Marge, and Anne-Risten are taken from their families. As children of Sámi reindeer herders, the Swedish state has mandated they attend a “nomad school” where they are forbidden to speak their native language. As the children visit home only sporadically, their parents know little about the abuse they face, much of it at the hands of the housemother, Rita. Those who dare to speak up are silenced.

Thirty years later, the five children have chosen different paths to cope with the past. Else-Maj holds strong in her Sámi identity but has turned to religion for comfort, while Anne-Risten now goes by Anne to hide her heritage from friends. Nilsa herds reindeer like his father but harbors a lot of anger, and Jon-Ante struggles with traumatic memories from the school. Then there’s Marge, who is about to adopt a daughter from Colombia but can’t help questioning if it’s right to take a child from her homeland.

Then suddenly, housemother Rita reappears. Now an old, frail woman claiming to have God on her side, she acts like nothing ever happened. But the five former students have neither forgotten nor forgiven her. As the narrative shifts between each of their perspectives, the novel asks if you had the chance to punish the person who hurt you as a child, would you?

My Opinions

Punished is a look at an Indigenous culture that many people outside of Europe may not even know about. I knew that there are Indigenous groups around the world, but I never thought about Northern Europe as being one of the places they exist. Punished is a look at the Sámi experience with government-run schools. These schools were designed to force the kids to integrate more into “white” society.

The story is told through five POVs and their experiences in two decades. We spent time with Jon-Ante, Else-Maj, Nilsa, Marge, and Anne-Risten while they were at the school in the 1950s. We also spent time with them in the 1980s and saw how their time at the school influenced who they became as adults. Sometimes, the chapters would stay in the 1950s but change POV. Other times, we would stay with the same POV but change from the 1950s to the 1980s.

The multiple POVs can sometimes be confusing, but the characters are written so you can tell them apart. It helps that each chapter is labeled with the character’s name and the time we are in. However, there is a side character with a name similar to one of the kids, which can be confusing. I found the timeline changes less confusing, as it was easy to tell when we were with the kids and when we were with the adults.

My biggest issue with the book was that some Sámi words were not translated into English. This could add to the point that these kids were often stripped of their language and culture. But it does add some stumbling blocks along the way. Thankfully, there were enough context clues to help you figure out what those words mean.

If you want to learn more about the past, especially how Indigenous peoples have been treated, Punished is a great read. Don’t expect this to be a quick or easy read. Do expect it to leave a mark on your heart and mind.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.