Fishing for the Little Pike
Fishing for the Little Pike
by Juhani Karila
translated from the Finnish by Lola Rogers
Restless Books, August 15th, 2023
U.K. title Summer Fishing in Lapland
Pushkin Press, July 6, 2023
When Elina makes her annual summer pilgrimage to the remote family farm in Lapland, she has three days to catch the pike in a local pond, or terrible things will happen. This year her fishing trip is made difficult not just because of the usual swarms of insects and pesky supernatural creatures, but also by the homicide detective on her trail.
Can Elina catch the pike and lay to rest the curse that has been hanging over her head? And why is Lapland in summer so weird?
“Portrays the Finnish region of Lapland as a place where folktales and fairies are part of normal life… This twisted love letter to the rural region leaves a lasting impression.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Full of natural wonders… Juhani Karila’s Summer Fishing in Lapland has a wonderfully zany energy.” – The Independent, Books of the Month feature
“Immediately enticing, endlessly charming, full of wit, magic and deep, moving humanity. It transported me to a world both familiar and utterly unknown, keeping me enthralled on every page.” Claire North, author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
“Unutterably enchanting and utterly bonkers.” – Financial Times
“Three cheers for Pushkin Press for bringing us this mud-spattered gem from the swamps of Lapland.” – Irish Daily Mail
2023 Indies Book of the Year finalist
2023 IAFA Crawford Award honorable mention