Antiphony
For the past twenty years Laila Stien has been garnering high praise for her short stories as well as for her fiction for children and young adults. Widely recognized as one of Norway's finest short story writers, Stien has been honored with a number of prizes, including Aschehoug-prisen in 2000. Her short stories are all set in her native north Norway; born and raised in Rana in Nordland county, Stien has for many years lived even farther north in Finnmark country. With her keen ear for spoken dialogue and keen eye for the telling detail, Stien draws readers into her narratives about ordinary people and their everyday lives. Antiphony should be included in every survey course on Scandinavian literature and/or culture. John Weinstock has preserved Stien's spare prose style in his translation, and the result is a reich experience for readers and a welcome addition to the small library of literature about contemporary Sami in English translation. Let us ope Nordic Studies Press has plans to add to this fine library. It would also be an excellent choice for book groups. --NORTANA News, Spring/Fall 2007