"Punished" by Ann-Helen Laestadius is a thought-provoking and compelling exploration of the Sami people's struggle for cultural (and soul) preservation in Sweden after being forced to attend "nomad school" as children, where their language and culture were taken (beaten) from them.

Laestadius provides a deeply personal account of the challenges faced by five children from the close-knit Sami reindeer herding community. The story sheds light on the impact of forced assimilation policies and the resulting trauma that affected their adult lives, weaving back and forth from their childhood in the 1950s to adulthood in the 1980s.

Through vivid storytelling, Laestadius effectively conveys the resilience and strength of the majority of the Sami people in the face of systematic oppression and blatant racism. However, the return of the housemother who inflicted so much pain, torture, and death has returned to their town as a frail elderly woman who requires assistance. Her presence causes a strong visceral and mental reaction to each grown character, and it's interesting to see how each of them handles suppressed memories that resurface and inner rage.

One of the book's most significant strengths is its ability to educate and raise awareness about an often overlooked part of history. Laestadius skillfully weaves historical context into the narrative, providing valuable insights into the cultural, social, and political dynamics that have shaped the Sami experience.

"Punished" is a sobering read that confronts brutal truths. Laestadius's work is a vital contribution to the ongoing dialogue about Indigenous rights and the enduring impact of colonialism. The editor asks the reader at the very beginning of the book - if given the opportunity to punish the person who hurt you as a child, would you do it? And I appreciate how the author's writing and storytelling at the end allow the readers to make that call for themselves. Like where does my own capacity to forgive land? And if we know the personal history behind an abuser or bully, does that increase our ability to forgive?

It was heartbreaking to learn that this happened not only in the U.S. and Canada but also in Sweden. It's an essential part of history that we should all know.

Also - this cover is so beautiful!

Thank you, #NetGalley, #annhelenlaestadius, and #Scribner, for the ARC of #Punished in exchange for my honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book very much. Kept me thoroughly interested through one sitting. Look forward to much more by this author. Loved Stolen as well, but liked this one better.

I was aware of the residential schools Indigenous children were forced into in the US (Reservation Dogs has an episode on this, if you're interested. It's a good show, check it out!) and Canada but I had no idea such a thing was happening to Sámi children in Sweden. This was an incredible learning opportunity and a springboard for me into dive into learning more about this as whole. This took me such a long time to read because every time I read it, I cried. The things these children went through was heartbreaking and I know conditions in such schools were even more brutal than what was depicted in this story. I can't even begin to fathom having my own language and culture ripped away from me and forced and punished into conforming to someone else's idea of how they think I should be. The only negative for me was it took me an awfully long time to remember to who each character from the 50s was as a child and connect them to their adult counterpart in the 80s. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read this and expand my learning of other Indigenous cultures I was previously unaware of. I know this is a story that was based off the author's own family's experience and I would recommend this all day every day over T.J. Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea. It's not a "cozy" story, and it will shatter your heart into a million pieces, but you'll get way more out of it.

I thought that Ann-Helén Laestadius did an outstanding job of creating the Sami children and placing them at 7 years of age in a nomad school away from home to learn Swedish. Anna, who was maid, and who helped the children such as Else-Maj and Jon-Ante cope with their housemother Mrs. Rita Olsson. We have other characters such as Marge, Anne-Risten, and Nilsa. Each of the characters are described in either 1952 or in 1985. We see them as either a seven year old or a 40 year old in each case they hold on to their attributes throughout their lives. Ann-Helén takes us through painful periods with Jon-Ante and Mrs. Olsson. And other times with the other characters. But you must read the story to find out what happens in their lives. I can't imagine what's it like to not know another language and being sent away to resolve it. I know that my grandchildren, who live in Austria, were picked on for not knowing German right away, they knew English from my daughter and Bulgarian from their father. It took them till they were teens and taller than everyone else to become well with German.