Stolen Quotes

“She existed, just like everyone else. But there seemed to be a difference, between existing and not existing. No one had explained to Elsa how the invisible borders had been drawn, and she didn’t ask either.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“I do not own you, you belong to yourself. You are only mine on loan.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Tror du på oss?" dristade hon sig att fråga.
"Jo, jag gör faktiskt det."
Och hon hade gråtit.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“They all knew something was seriously wrong. Rain in the middle of winter. It frightened Elsa. How they had raised the alarm, trying to get people outside the reindeer grazing grounds to understand—can’t you see what’s happening? We’ve known for a long time! For years we’ve been warning you that the climate is changing. But as always, their voices were too weak, and the wind hadn’t been strong enough to carry them where they needed to go.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“How they had raised the alarm, trying to get people outside the reindeer grazing grounds to understand—can’t you see what’s happening? We’ve known for a long time! For years we’ve been warning you that the climate is changing. But as always, their voices were too weak, and the wind hadn’t been strong enough to carry them where they needed to go.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Once you had gazed into a reindeer’s eyes and understood, you realized you had no choice but to be right there.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“But as always, their voices were too weak, and the wind hadn’t been strong enough to carry them where they needed to go. So”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“She didn’t believe he was there anyway. And forgiveness seemed far off. But it was seldom to anyone’s advantage to be angry at the dead.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“He had slowly faded away until he was almost transparent at the end.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Oh well, what was a pair of poles when you could fly? The snowmobile roared across the ice and she followed behind, the world’s fastest princess with her hair streaming in the wind. And now she could joik clearly; the sound of the snowmobile drowned it out and guarded her secret. It was just her, the ice, and her lands.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Reindeer were quiet. They didn’t scream if someone cut them with a knife; they didn’t scream when the wolverine bit into their necks and paralyzed their bodies. They didn’t have screaming in them.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“That chair was for people who came for a visit, without quite visiting. Mom liked to say that sometimes you just wanted to belong for a little while, to have a place where you could sit quietly and feel less sad and alone.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“His face was gray; his stubble was turning gray. All of him was getting grayer.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“The thought that one day she would kill the man who did this.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“This is your room, you’ll sleep here by yourself.” “Alone,” she said, her lower lip trembling. “In the dark.” Elsa reached over to turn on the white lamp that was mounted above the bed. “You can keep the light on all night.” “That’s not allowed.” “It is here.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Have you written about the Sámi before?” “No.” “Then be prepared, because you’ll get more comments than ever before. Read them carefully and think about where that hate comes from.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Some part of her had been hoping that she would look into Lasse’s eyes when the newborn was laid on her chest. That he would come back in the form of a little boy who was well suited for life in a way Lasse hadn’t been. But no, that gaze was its very own. He was a robust little guy who lifted his head to root for her breast right away. It hurt, and she cried, and Ante misunderstood and thought they were happy tears. But she would never be happy again.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Mattias hoped he would be allowed to get a practice drive in on the way home, but above all he just wanted to get out of there before anyone spotted him with his family.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Opening his coat pocket, he put the ear inside and fastened the button carefully. He put his mitten back on and looked up at the sky. And then he waved.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“She wasn’t afraid of bears. Now she was only afraid of herself.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“I wonder if it’s theft, if theft is all it is, if I shoot her and take the body,” she said quietly. “Do you think a dog is worth more than a reindeer?”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“The ice gave up listlessly, with no vigor. And now the river was open and the birches had tentatively leafed out.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen

“Plötsligt började áhkku sjunga, högt, med klar röst. En samisk psalm. Hanna stod en bra bit bort men hon vände sig om, lyssnade och sjönk ihop, såg ut att kunna ramla.
”Vi sjöng den på Lasses begravning”, viskade mamma.”
― Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stöld