BEASTS OF THE SEA | Nordic Book Club Online

Join our vibrant Nordic Book Club Online for an engaging discussion on contemporary literature in translation! 🌟 This month, we're diving into Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen.

🔍 Overview:
In this sweeping tale that intertwines the fates of humanity and nature, Turpeinen explores a profound encounter spanning three centuries, linked by the long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans.

🧭 Summary:
In 1741, naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, part of Captain Bering’s Great Northern Expedition, faces challenges while scouting for a sea route between Asia and America. Along the way, he discovers a gentle giant, later named Steller’s sea cow.

By 1859, the governor of Russian Alaska sends men to retrieve this creature's skeleton believed to be extinct for over a century. Just two years later, a pioneering Helsinki professor hires a talented female illustrator to depict the bones, paving the way to introduce the concept of human-driven extinction. Fast forward to 1952, the Museum of Zoology assigns its best restorer to refurbish this cherished skeleton, igniting curiosity and concern for future generations.

📖 Beasts of the Sea is hailed as a breathtaking literary achievement—a remarkable adventure crossing continents and epochs, filled with ambition, a thirst for knowledge, and the sorrow of loss. Available in both paperback and e-book formats from Hachette Book Group and Bookshop.org.