The End of Drum-Time

A Novel

By: Hanna Pylväinen

Narrated by: Philippe Spall

Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2023

Longlisted, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, 2023

Longlisted, National Book Awards, 2023

"Many listeners will be transported and maybe even transfixed by this audiobook. Philippe Spall portrays the inhabitants of a village in 1850s Scandinavia with subtle strength. He navigates parallel plots with energy and clarity, his tone of urgency moving the story along."—AudioFile Magazine

An epic love story in the vein of Cold Mountain and The Great Circle, about a young reindeer herder and a minister’s daughter in the nineteenth century Arctic Circle

In 1851, at a remote village in the Scandinavian tundra, a Lutheran minister known as Mad Lasse tries in vain to convert the native Sámi reindeer herders to his faith. But when one of the most respected herders has a dramatic awakening and dedicates his life to the church, his impetuous son, Ivvár, is left to guard their diminishing herd alone. By chance, he meets Mad Lasse’s daughter Willa, and their blossoming infatuation grows into something that ultimately crosses borders—of cultures, of beliefs, and of political divides—as Willa follows the herders on their arduous annual migration north to the sea.

Gorgeously written and sweeping in scope, Hanna Pylväinen's The End of Drum-Time immerses listeners in a world lit by the northern lights, steeped in age-old rituals, and guided by passions that transcend place and time.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2023 Hanna Pylväinen (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Ambitious and resonant, a vivid, fascinating, and moving novel...Beautifully written and masterfully researched, the book's greatest triumph is the characters, full of human foibles, passions, and tenderness, jealousy, courage, doubts, and moments of transcendence.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Pylväinen creates a picture of a time and a place with an appealing diversity of characterization—the 'outlander' Swedes, the native Sámi—each character crafted with a depth and complexity that brings them to life, from their religious beliefs to the cultural ties that knot them together and tear them apart. All is told through expressive prose that makes for an engaging immersion in a unique world.”—Booklist

“The End of Drum-Time explores some of the most complex themes in literature in some of the most gorgeous prose imaginable. Hanna Pylväinen’s novel of cultural collision in the far north is an extraordinary feat of research and imagination by an author who reminds you with every page what fiction can accomplish.”—Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of Mercury Pictures Present

Authentic

I loved the story, but the end was not what I wanted. It left me angry and a little sad.

Gorgeous and Compelling

On my second listen and it is just as good as the first. This book has been longlisted for the 2023 National Book Award.

Fascinating and moving

So well written and researched, this book transported me to another time and place where I felt the arctic cold, heard the reindeer, hooves and empathized with the characters.  The author does a wonderful job showing multiple perspectives of clashing cultures in 1851 Northern Sweden 

Couldn't stop listening!

A gripping novel, rooted in history, that brings the hearts of humanity forward through the spectrum of conflict and love. I loved the sensitivity given to the emotions and perspectives of different characters, and thus varying perspectives on history, at the intersection of cultural clashes & colonization.

Well researched into a fascinating story

The depth of detail from a time so long ago was amazing. The characters were also deeply and very well described. The story was very interesting and although it was historical fiction, seemed very accurate. I highly recommend it?

If only to “see through Reindeer eyes!”

The great distances we go … an unforgettable journey. Loved the contrast of inner life and wondering belief with the harsh external world.
It is a slow start but hang in there - it’s worth the slog. In some ways the pace reveals the reality of the characters’ existence.

Awesome

Such a vision was created of a people and of a herd and a lifestyle that I never knew existed. It was frightening and beautiful. It was like a fairy tale and a ghost story. Who were the good guys and who were the bad guys???? Beautiful writing. Heartbreaking and despicable characters.
Bravo!

evokes a time, place and it's people

Realistic historical fiction, with complex characters. Portrays the conflict between cultures and the role of women as part of a compelling storyline. Fitting and nuanced narrator.

compelling

This is a compelling story, beautifully written and wonderfully narrated. I highly recommend this book.

Beautiful and ethereal

Being half Swedish, I was very excited to read this book and learn more about the Sammi. It was wonderful story and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s always difficult to get used to the gender restrictions of the time and culture, but I thought the author did a great job of placing it in a realistic frame instead of over indulging gender stereotypes. This was a beautiful, heart wrenching, ethereal story that is worth the read.