Lapland Outlaw

by Arthur Catherall, Simon Jeruchim (Illustrator)

Sixteen-year-old Johani is forced to turn outlaw to safeguard his father's reindeer herd.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Animals

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

In addition to his own name, Arthur Catherall also wrote under the names A.R. Channel, Dan Corby, J. Baltimore, Linda Peters (Adventure at Brackendale), Peter Hallard, Margaret Ruthin, and Trevor Maine.

He was a prolific author of magazine short stories, single novels and series novels for all age groups and genders. His children's adventure stories were popular in book club editions and can be found in several languages.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
This young adult book written in 1966 give great insight into the lives of the Laplander (Sami) people of Northern Finland. They were attuned to the earth, very wise, loyal to family and fellow Laps. The Sarris family is cheated out of the majority of their reindeer herd. Two teenagers from the family struggle through a long cold winter to save the herd and the family's reputation.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

B. children's, grade 4, fiction, reindeer, adventure, Weekly Reader Book Club, Mom's stash, keep

[Ilse · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm probably too old for this. such a shame I didn't reaf this back when I was 10.

[David Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don’t know if this is a fair and accurate representation of Lapp culture or not, but I think author Arthur Carherall did a great job of creating compelling and l relatable characters. Even the villains of the book, the merchant Paavo Niklander and the lawman Sargent Peaksi, were well rounded and compelling. Niklander was a man facing ruin when he made the fateful decision to try and steal the Sarria reindeer herd, and Peaksi was just a dedicated lawman committed to bringing a fugitive to justice. The story flows well and holds up even after all these years.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite adventure stories!
A Lap family goes to the trading Post to trade some of their excess reindeer, but while they are there, the father is knocked unconscious in an accident. Seeing this as an opportunity, an unscrupulous trader changes their bill of sale from 30 deer to 300 deer; their entire herd.
To save their herd and livelihood, the son and daughter make off with the herd, branded as thieves but determined to save the reindeer until their father comes out of his coma.

[Inis Fal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, and you would never know it was written for a younger audience. The author not only created a descriptive and colorful landscape to draw the reader in, but he made it a thoroughly realistic and informative story as well by incorporating amazing knowledge and information about the Laps of Finland...great read!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book so that I could tell Jake what it was about, and maybe get him to read something!! He did not read it, but I thought it was a pretty good adventure story for a younger adult boy to read. Maybe an 8-12 yr old?

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child. It taught me that cultural minorities can have different outlooks and ways of life. I never forgot that lesson.