The Historians
Britta Hallberg is found dead in the meeting hall of Historical Society headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden, her body bearing signs of cruel torture, evidence of her historical research lost. Daniel Jonsson, an archivist responsible for keeping track of government activities, is dead, an apparent suicide, after complaining that telephone recordings between Swedish and other foreign ministers are missing. Javanna Turi, a young Sami girl living on Blackäsen Mountain near an iron ore mine in Lapland, has disappeared, and she is not the first Sami to vanish. Spurred to investigate are Laura Dahlgren, Britta’s friend and former fellow history student, Jens Regnell, Daniel’s colleague and friend, and Taneli, Javanna’s young brother.
The Historians shines a light on Scandinavia in the Second World War. While Sweden was neutral, the country allowed German soldiers and equipment to pass by train and support fighting in Norway and Finland, and its iron ore was considered to be critical for Third Reich steel production. In 1943, Sweden’s neutrality was being challenged both internally and internationally.
Fast-paced and suspenseful, The Historians moves from the corridors of power in government and academia to the winter forest home of the indigenous Sami. Themes incorporate myth and philosophy, belief and ideology, the use and misuse of history. The multiplicity of characters sometimes creates confusion, and some plot developments are easier to achieve than one might expect, for instance, gaining quick and full access to a highly secretive program. Nevertheless, the premise of the novel is chilling, the atmosphere dark and the storytelling compelling.
