Welcome to another round of “What I’ve Been Reading Lately.” This past month I traveled all over the world — Maine, Uruguay, Vietnam, and Panama — and two of the books were even very new releases from 2024 which is unlike me.
I have finally finalized my Nordic literature reading plan for 2024. It’s going to be slow and steady (not meant to be completed by the end of 2024) with general reading categories for each of the Nordic countries to guide me along the way. Read more about it at 2024 Nordic Literature Reading Challenge.
What have you been reading lately?
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (2023) 🎧(📖)
Narrated Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch
This story opens during the summer of 1962 when a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia is in Maine for berry picking season and 4-year-old Ruthie disappears. Her older brother Joe, 6 years old at the time, is the last to see her and is affected by this the rest of his life. What follows is a dual perspective narrative following Joe at the end of his life and the missing girl growing up with her new, overly protective mother and emotionally distant father. There is no mystery for the reader; it’s about how this early childhood trauma affected them both and how they are reunited. This was a highly anticipated novel that didn’t quite land with me like I expected it would. Maybe it was the narration of the audiobook that threw me. I ended up finishing the book by reading it. ⭐️⭐️
- #DiversityAcrossGenres: Indigenous / Fiction
- Book Voyage: Read Around the World: North America (USA & Canada)
Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis (2019) 📖(🎧)
This story follows five queer women in Montevideo, Uruguay, who come together in secret during the Uruguayan Dictatorship and become friends, lovers, and family. They are a mixed group – a young high school student, a former activist, a married woman, a butcher, and one who is very reserved about her past and current life. A defining act of this group is discovering and buying a shack in an isolated, remote area along the coast which becomes their secret sanctuary. I read this for its setting in Uruguay and greatly appreciated the insight into life before, during, and after the dictatorship (1973-1985). I also admired the women for their resolve and determination to build their found family and to live as who they really are, despite dictators, trauma, and fear. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- #DiversityAcrossGenres: Latine / Historical Fiction
- Book Voyage: Read Around the World: South America (Uruguay)
The Women by Kristin Hannah (2024) 📖
Loved this book. Strong female characters, deep friendships, history I’m not as familiar with. It’s about three female nurses in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and then their re-entry into life when they returned to an America that wanted to forget Vietnam and didn’t acknowledge that women were there. In particular, it follows one woman, Frankie, who volunteered to serve thinking it would make her family proud, but instead it had the exact opposite effect. It’s a heartbreaking story in so many ways, but also a powerful story of patriotism, sacrifice, and courage. I was engrossed the moment I entered Frankie’s life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Read My Own Shelf: BOTM selection
- Book Voyage: Read Around the World: Southern Asia (Vietnam)
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez (2024) 🎧
Narrated by Robin Miles
This was not a unified story but instead a series of glimpses into the lives and backstories of individuals living in the Panama Canal zone during a period of its construction. Marian Oswald left America with her husband whose goal it was to eradicate malaria from the area. Sixteen-year-old Ava Bunting ran away from her home in Barbados so she could earn money for her younger sister’s surgery. Francisco was a local fisherman whose 17-year old son Omar decided to work in the cut despite his father’s protests. Joaquin was a fishmonger in Panama City whose wife became an activist when her small home village was threatened by the building of a dam. Over time, their lives intersected. It was an interesting behind-the-scenes look at a great historical feat and visit to a part of the world unfamiliar to me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- #DiversityAcrossGenres: Latine / Historical Fiction
- Book Voyage: Read Around the World: North America (Panama)
What have you been reading lately?
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This young adult novel has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I am relieved to finally check it off my unread BOTM selections list. It’s about high school student Leigh, half Asian and half white, whose mother dies by suicide after struggles with depression. Leigh’s mother turns into a bird and Leigh travels to Taiwan to try to find the bird and to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. Unfortunately, the concept and execution did not land with me. I appreciated the trip to Taiwan which provided insight into sights, foods, and culture. However, the jumping back and forth in time and in and out of other people’s memories was a little disconcerting. And the writing was just too colorful for me.
I went into this one knowing there were mixed feelings about it among my reading friends at work. For me, it turned out to be one that I loved. It takes place during the summer of 2020. Mia, a biracial Korean-American college student forced back home due to the pandemic, narrates what happened when her dad went missing after having gone to a local park with her 14-year-old non-speaking autistic brother. She is intellectual and honest. She analyzes and scrutinizes all leads in the case and it goes in many directions. There’s a lot going on in the book, including a discussion of happiness, understanding neurodivergent people (brother had dual diagnosis of autism and Angelman Syndrome), insight into speech therapy, and more! It is thought-provoking and would make a great book club read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my fifth William Wisting installment, not read in any particular order and all except one in Norwegian. I always enjoy returning to the duo of police detective William Wisting and his crime journalist daughter Line along the coast south of Oslo. They don’t work together but their work overlaps. He’s a trustworthy and respected detective; she’s an eager and independent reporter. I like them both. In this installment, Wisting’s reputation is questioned and he’s suspended due to new evidence in a 17-year old case about a murdered missing woman. Line is investigating a recent murder. Seeing how the two cases converged made for a fun and interesting read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My absolute favorite of the three 4th grade selections was 
Then on the weekend of May 18 & 19, the 
Come and explore with Patti Goke, Vesterheim Gold Medalist, the different looks of the painted items from Numedal Valley. It is hard for even experts in rosemaling to think of a typical Numedal piece. That is because it had so many influences from Hallingdal and Telemark painters. Patti Goke has traveled twice to the valley known as the “Valley of the Middle Ages,” both times with Vesterheim on Folk Art Study Tours. She has also done individual study of the style and painters. Registration required for this free event.
Nordic open-faced sandwiches are a wonderful way to highlight seasonal ingredients. Known by various names including smörgås in Swedish and smørrebrød in Danish, open faced sandwiches are often eaten singly or in combination for a light lunch or as a part of a celebratory buffet. Join Kristi Bissell of 
Join the National Nordic Museum for a special edition of Meet the Author, a bake along with 
Barley is one of the earliest cultivated grains in the Nordic region, and thousands of years later, it still deserves our attention! Low in gluten and high in fiber, barley was historically used for bread baking as well as brewing. In this virtual demo, Kristi Bissell of 
Are you curious about the Sámi language and culture? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to the north of Finland, Sweden, or Norway? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Áila O’Loughlin is the perfect way to learn some history of the nine living dialects of Sápmi, get a feel for North Sámi, pick up a bit of grammar and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic greetings. Families are welcome!
Can you imagine a time and place without quilts? It may be hard to believe, but few Norwegians in the nineteenth century had ever seen quilts. Immigrants to the United States needed quilts for warmth and to help their homes look more American. Quilts from Vesterheim’s Textile Collection tell the story of the immigrant experience between 1860 and 1940. Join Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson and the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild for this presentation.
Very few of us can say no to a chocolate treat, and Scandinavians regularly end up on the list of top 10 countries for chocolate consumption per capita—so let’s join Kristi Bissell of 
The 6th Annual Sámi Film Festival is a partnership between the
Join Scandinavia House for a virtual book talk with Sámi-Swedish author Linnea Axelsson on Ædnan, her epic, August Prize-winning multigenerational novel-in-verse about two Sámi families and their quest to stay together across a century of migration, violence, and colonial trauma. The author will be joined by moderator Matilde Augusta Huseby for a talk about the writing of the novel. This event will be followed by a related online book club meeting at 6:00 p.m. ET (
If you’ve ever watched a cooking show and marveled at the speed that the ingredients get prepped, this class is for you! Instructor Kristi Bissell will share tips and tricks for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing quickly and safely and discuss how to care for your knives. Best of all, at the end of the class, you’ll have a delicious Nordic soup and salad prepped and ready for dinner! Enrollment deadline: Feb. 3 (spots available as of publication date).
Begins March 1, available all month! Using hand-dyed wool from the instructor’s sheep, learn how to both wet and needle felt over a bar of soap. Felted soaps are beautiful, and they will help your bar of soap last much longer too! Great for all ages. The kit comes with everything you need. This program has been designed for families to experience on their own schedules. Through a detailed video tutorial, Laura will take you step-by-step through the process from start to finish, with plenty of pro tips and invitations for personalizing your bar of soap. Roll up your sleeves, prepare to get sudsy, and enjoy this tactile-rich experience!
The Sámi are Scandinavia’s only UN-recognized indigenous people and have a culture rich with fiber traditions. In this virtual Introduction to Sámi Knitting class, students will be introduced to traditional Sámi knitting, which was almost exclusively used to produce hand garments. Students will view many images of mittens from the instructor’s trips to northern Scandinavia and learn about the four characteristics that set Sámi mittens apart: cuffs, thumbs, decreases, and braids (with and without tassels). Students will create a sample swatch by practicing each of these elements and leave with the knowledge to translate their skills into a full-sized pair of mittens. 
Join chef Patrice Johnson for this fun and delicious way to experience Scandinavian food culture. Tacos are a long favored Friday evening meal across the region, and families who love this tradition are finding ways to vary their beloved tacos. In class, students will dabble in traditional Nordic tacos and an Icelandic Skúffukaka (chocolate brownie cake topped with coconut).
Join carving instructor and Vesterheim Gold Medalist Charles Banks for a lecture on Scandinavian flat plane figure carving and his creative process. In this webinar, Charles Banks will talk about the different figures and characters he has made all with the same starting blank, and what that means for the development of his creative process. He will discuss how he has used this simple blank to push himself to try out new character designs and poses. Come learn about how starting with one blank, a whole menagerie of characters can be made. Leave with the inspiration to start carving yourself!
Learn about the history of different types and styles of Norwegian sweaters, including Setesdal, Fana, Marius, and Olympic from textile expert and Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson. Laurann will also discuss the symbolism behind some of the patterns and colors on sweaters made today. This is an open online meeting of Sons of Norway Lodge 1-001 Nidaros, from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, West Area. Laurann will join the meeting remotely to share the presentation. Visitors wishing to attend the meeting may sign up for the Zoom link 
Create your own stamps and print a tea towel in just an evening. Kayla will guide students through the process of carving a simple stamp or two, then printing a tea towel right at home. These skills will work for all kinds of future printing projects on paper or fabric, plus you’ll keep your reusable stamps and all the tools you need to keep printing. Suitable for ages 18+.
Join Kristi Bissell of the 
Explore the beauty and fun of beading on a loom in the Scandinavian tradition! Inspired by designs from Nordic bandweaving, this class will take you from start to finish to make your own red and gold beaded bookmark. Learn about the historic use of loom beading and how a remarkably simple process can transform glass seed beads into delightful designs. Over the four sessions, students will practice warping their own loom, reading a chart, and various finishing options; they should also plan to work on their projects outside of class. Suitable for ages 16+.
Artist Arna Rennan will give a presentation about emigration from central Norway featuring songs, images, and anecdotes that she collected in Bøverdalen, Norway. Between 1900 and 1920, half of the population of Bøverdalen immigrated to the United States. Another portion of the population left around 1950 to join relatives who had settled in the United States. Economic and social conditions were among the primary reasons for leaving. Arna takes a closer look at the existing class system found in Norway at the time and how the rural communities dealt with poverty. She will share some of these stories to bring the immigrant experience to life. This is a hybrid presentation. Watch from home on Zoom as Arna presents at Vesterheim.
When you hear of the style of painting that comes from Numedal, Norway, what image comes to mind? It is hard for even experts in rosemaling to think of a typical Numedal piece. That is because it had so many influences from Hallingdal and Telemark painters. Come and explore with Patti Goke, Vesterheim Gold Medalist, the different looks of the painted items from Numedal Valley. She has traveled twice to the valley known as the “Valley of the Middle Ages,” both times with Vesterheim on Folk Art Study Tours.
In 2024, the National Nordic Museum is prioritizing their personal well-being! Join health psychologist Kari Leibowitz, PhD in this one-hour interactive workshop to learn about the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv; the psychological and health benefits of getting outside, connecting with nature, and practicing friluftsliv; and how you can incorporate the practice into your own life to make the most out of the winter.
The 6th Annual Sámi Film Festival returns to the National Nordic Museum this February. Presented as a partnership between the 
