Read and discuss Scandinavian literature in translation as part of our Nordic Book Club, now online! Each month we select a novel from some of the best Nordic literary voices. On September 13, we’ll be discussing The Last Wild Horses by Norwegian author Maja Lunde, out now in translation by Diane Oatley.
Translated into 40 languages and winner of the Norwegian Bookseller’s Prize, Maja Lunde’s heart-wrenching new tale, set in the distant past and the dystopian future, explores extinction and survival, family and hope. In Russia in 1881, when the skeleton of a rare wild horse is brought to him, zoologist Mikhail plans an expedition to Mongolia to find the fabled Przewalski horse, a journey that tests not only his physicality, but his heart. In 1992, alongside her troubled son Mathias and several Przewalski horses that she has dedicated her life to saving, veterinarian Karin travels to Mongolia to re-introduce the magnificent horses to their native land.
In 2062, Europe’s future is uncertain — but Eva is willing to sacrifice nearly everything to hold onto her family’s farm as a pregnant wild mare she is tending is about to foal, even when her teenage daughter implores Eva to leave the farm and Norway. When a young woman named Louise unexpectedly arrives on the farm, her mysterious intentions will either bring them all together, or devastate them one by one.
Spanning continents and centuries, The Last Wild Horses is a powerful tale of survival and connection–of humans, animals, and the indestructible bonds that unite us all.
“Brilliantly complex….Lunde delivers a perfect blend of gripping human stories, historical and scientific fact, and speculative elements”—Publishers Weekly
About the Author & Translator
Maja Lunde is a Norwegian author and screenwriter. Lunde has written five books for children and young adults. She has also written scripts for Norwegian television, including for the children’s series Barnas supershow (“The Children’s Super Show”), the drama series Hjem(“Home”) and the comedy series Side om Side (“Side by Side”). THE HISTORY OF BEES was her first novel for adults. She lives with her husband and three children in Oslo.
Diane Oatley is a writer, independent scholar, and translator. She began her undergraduate studies of English literature at the University of Maine and completed an MA in comparative literature at the University of Oslo. Her poetry has been published in anthologies and journals in England, Norway, Spain, and India, and she is the author of three poetry chapbooks. In 2014 Diane received NORLA’s annual Translator’s Award for nonfiction, and two of her literary translations have been long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award. She is a member of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association and the Norwegian chapter of PEN International.