4.5 stars. Parts of this were a bit more focused on romance than I'm used to, but I got caught up in the story and enjoyed it a lot. Cinematic and well-written. Many of the sentences are long but lyrical, especially as read by Philippe Spall for the audiobook.

It has a fascinating setting and well-developed characters. I loved the description of Willa's need to understand things, and the way she tries hard to learn by carefully watching what the experienced people do. As for Henrik, who is pretty slow-witted (not helped by his excessive drinking, which is a problem for quite a few characters), Pylväinen does a great job of conveying his doubts and his realization that he doesn't understand or remember things; these parts are painful but also funny. There are also times when certain characters start imagining a brighter future - and their moods lift as they think about things going their way (maybe it's part of God's plan?) - and I appreciated how well the book captures this sort of thinking.

The story also includes some thoughtful criticism of religious leaders and does a good job of providing background on the history and cultures of the region. Plus, there are the reindeer, which I decided (correctly, it turns out) would make this an appropriate read for December. Finally, I liked the low-key humor that runs throughout the book, e.g. The more he thought about it, the more he agreed with himself .... :-)