HIVE Book Club & Author Talk

Book Club & Author Talk with Barbara Sjoholm

Presented by HIVE & The Scandinavian Cultural Center Council

Join us for an engaging afternoon with acclaimed author Barbara Sjoholm as she discusses her latest novel, The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens—recently named one of the Best 100 Indie Books of 2025 by Kirkus Reviews.

At the heart of this captivating story is a strong Scandinavian woman whose journey of immigration, love, and loss reveals a fierce resilience. As she navigates life as a writer in a new country, her story unearths a hidden piece of Pacific Northwest history: the true, little-known account of the reindeer brought to the Seattle area.

Come explore a narrative where fiction meets history, centered on the unwavering spirit of a woman finding her way in the PNW.

Attending in-person at PLU:
Location: Scandinavian Cultural Center, Anderson University Center

3:00 PM PST: Author presentation and facilitated conversation with Amy Swanson King begins (Zoom broadcast starts)
4:15 PM PST: Scandinavian-Inspired Soup Supper

Not in the “253” area code? Join us virtually at 3:00 PM PST for the presentation and panel! 🖥️

About the Facilitator: Amy Swanson King

Amy Swanson King is a doctoral student in the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies, where her research focuses on Sámi issues, including the American Sámi diaspora, heritage reclamation, and indigenous methodologies.

Amy brings a diverse interdisciplinary background to her scholarship, holding a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University and an MIT in Teaching from Seattle University. Her academic work is complemented by extensive community leadership; she serves on the board of the Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University and is the Acting Treasurer for the Pacific Sámi Searvi, where she previously served as President.

An active voice in Nordic and Indigenous studies, Amy has lectured on topics such as Sámi mythology, World War II history in Sápmi, and the traditional art of joik. She is the recipient of several honors, including the Endowment in Honor of the Nordic Museum Scholarship and the Birgit Baldwin Language Fellowship.

About the Author: Barbara Sjoholm

Barbara Sjoholm is an acclaimed author, translator, and editor whose work frequently explores the intersections of culture, history, and the Nordic regions. A longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Port Townsend, Washington, which serves as the primary setting for her latest novel, The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens (2025).

Her diverse literary career spans several decades and genres:

• Sámi Scholarship & Translation: Sjoholm is a leading voice in bringing Sámi history and literature to English-speaking audiences. Her works include From Lapland to Sápmi: Collecting and Returning Sámi Craft and Culture (2023) and The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi. She has also translated critical texts such as Emilie Demant Hatt’s With the Lapps in the High Mountains and By the Fire: Sámi Folktales and Legends.

• Historical Fiction & Mystery: Before writing under the name Sjoholm, she published numerous award-winning mysteries and fiction as Barbara Wilson. She is a “genre pioneer” known for the Pam Nilsen and Cassandra Reilly series, the latter of which includes the Lambda Award-winning Gaudi Afternoon, which was adapted into a major motion picture.

• Publishing & Advocacy: In 1976, she co-founded Seal Press, a landmark feminist publishing house in Seattle, and later established the non-profit Women in Translation to promote marginalized female voices globally.

• Awards & Recognition: Her work has been recognized with fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, and the Historical Novel Society. Her memoir, Blue Windows: A Christian Science Childhood, was a finalist for the PEN USA award and won a Lambda Literary Award.

In The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens, Sjoholm draws on years of archival research in both the Nordic countries and local Washington historical societies to reveal the multicultural history of the Puget Sound at the turn of the century.

Deb Erickson & Sumerlin Larsen-Lesperance serve as alumnae Co-Chairs of Hive.

Have questions? Contact Lauralee Hagen
Phone: 253-535-7203
Email: hagen@plu.edu