SONG OF SAMPO LAKE

In the rural Minnesota of 1900, 15-year-old Matti Ojala labors in an iron mine, yearning as much for his father's approval as he does for the light of day, and wishing his family had never left Finland. When Matti's uncle is killed in the mine, Matti's parents decide to wait no longer to apply their savings toward a homestead claim. As he helps his father wrest a new home from the wilderness, Matti has ample opportunity to prove his "sisu" ("a Finnish word that meant strength, courage, and stubbornness all wrapped into one"). The plotting encompasses adventures aplenty, from a run-in with a bear to a near-tragedy when one of Matti's younger sisters falls through the ice; these give depth and color as Durbin (The Broken Blade) entwines coming-of-age themes with immigrant/settler experiences. The author illuminates the intersection of Finnish and Midwest frontier cultures (Matti's father insists on building a log sauna before starting on their cabin, for instance), weaving in historical detail and a memorable supporting cast. This vivid novel would be an excellent companion to Our Only May Amelia, about Finnish settlers in the Northwest, and should grab boys at least as much as girls. Ages 10-up. (Nov.)