The Secret of Snow

Sámi writer Harnesk makes her English-language debut with the affecting tale of an elderly couple who fear they’ll be separated after they can no longer care for themselves. When Máriddja Rijá receives a cancer diagnosis, she throws away her cellphone and burns all letters from the Swedish government delivered to her and her husband, Biera. She’s concerned that the pair will be forcibly removed from their home and sent to different care facilities, given that Máriddja is Swedish and Biera is Sámi, and that Biera’s people were forced to relocate by the government years ago. Each are also dealing with dementia: Biera tries to chop down the couple’s mailbox post for no good reason, and Máriddja converses with Siri on her husband’s iPhone as if the virtual assistant were a real person. Máriddja, who was never able to have a child, also reflects on the nephew she lost when her husband’s much younger sister suddenly moved away, taking the child with her. Meanwhile, a doctor new to the community, Kaj, grieves the death of his mother but is buoyed by a marriage proposal from his partner, Mimmi. Kaj and Mimmi’s connection to the Rijás is revealed in a twist, which, though it’s highly telegraphed, is emotionally satisfying nonetheless. Fans of Fredrik Backman will take to this touching family drama. (Feb.)