Podcast Summary: Interview with Sharon White on "If the Owl Calls" (WTAW Press, 2025)
Podcast: New Books Network
Host: G.P. Gottlieb
Guest: Sharon White
Episode Date: November 19, 2025
Overview of Episode
This episode features a thoughtful conversation between host G.P. Gottlieb and author Sharon White about her upcoming novel, If the Owl Calls. Set in northern Norway during the 1970s, the novel is a beautifully written mystery exploring themes of identity, memory, survival, the environment, and the Sami culture—framed by a story of sabotage at a hydroelectric dam and a mysterious death. Sharon White draws on her personal experiences living in Norway to paint an evocative portrait of a land and people at a crossroads.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Inspiration and Setting
- Origin of the Novel's Setting:
- Sharon White lived in Finnmark, Norway, after college and was deeply influenced by the landscape and culture.
- Her personal dilemma about living in constant winter darkness inspired elements of the protagonist's journey.
- Quote:
“I fell in love with Finnmark, where the novel is set… I was trying to decide whether I was going to move to Finnmark, have a life there, and I decided not to because actually, in the winter, it's completely dark for several months.” (02:45)
2. The Meaning Behind the Title
- Title Origins:
- Taken from a line in a John Haynes poem about Alaska, reflecting the northern, snowy atmosphere.
- Previous titles were discarded until this one felt right.
- Quote:
“I really wanted to have a title that was set in a very, you know, in a snowy northern place... [John Haynes] actually has a poem that… a piece of it is if the owl Calls. And I thought, oh, that's really wonderful.” (04:08)
3. Themes: Survival and Identity
- Survival: Emotional & Physical
- Survival is both literal (harsh landscape, reindeer herding, farming) and emotional for the characters, especially outsiders like Catherine, the American.
- Quote:
“It's sort of emotional survival and physical survival, at least for many of the characters. And it's a rough terrain in Finnmark.” (05:06)
- Identity and Culture
- The narrative examines what it means to belong, focusing on Hans, who is of Sami descent but estranged from his roots.
4. Characters
- Catherine (The American):
- Based on real international youth work in Norway; Catherine is seeking a romanticized wilderness experience but confronts the hard reality.
- Quote:
“She’s always wanted to be in a situation where she could feel like she was surviving in the wilderness… And finally, she's in a place where she sees that it's not a romantic idea at all.” (06:21)
- Hans Sorensen (Protagonist Detective):
- Oslo detective, recently widowed, and emotionally burnt out; once connected to Sami culture, now removed.
- Motivated by family legacy and identity crisis.
- Quote:
“He felt estranged from the north. He grew up in Finnmark, but he wanted a different kind of life. So he's become a cop… He's burned out." (07:41)
- Journalist and Musician:
- Two women pivotal to the mystery plot. The journalist, from Bergen, is sympathetic to Sami rights. The musician, Ingrid, is deeply entwined with Hans’s past.
5. Sami Culture & Historical Context
- Sami Identity:
- Not only reindeer herders; roles also include farmers, fishermen, cultural workers.
- Sami faced historical discrimination and a complex religious evolution—blending Christianity and pre-Christian traditions.
- Quote:
“The Sami culture is really interesting… Hans family happens to be from a family that's always had reindeer, a very famous family actually. And he's rejected that kind of life.” (10:01) - Discusses Christianity’s introduction and the enduring, pantheistic beliefs of the Sami.
- Quote:
“There was a Christian component... Although they [were] Sami, but still kept their belief in a… More pantheistic [way].” (11:15)
6. Dam Sabotage & Environmental Conflict
- Alta Dam Reality:
- Inspired by real events: Norwegian government’s plans for hydroelectric power at the expense of traditional lands and villages.
- Sami activism and resistance are central to the story’s conflict.
- Quote:
“It would have flooded a town, a town that had been there for hundreds of years. And also the land where the reindeer were usually grazed… And the Norwegian government… had been discriminating against the Sami people for hundreds of years.” (12:34)
7. Geography and Nature Writing
- Landscape Description:
- White’s love for the region’s wild, quiet beauty comes through in her lyrical descriptions.
- Quote:
“There are amazing wildflowers, delicate little white wildflowers that grow orchids that grow in the bogs. The wind is always blowing if you're on the High Vida… The rivers are full of incredible salmon.” (14:01)
8. The Mystery Unfolds
- Plot Development:
- Sabotage at the dam is botched, someone is injured, and a dead body is found—raising questions about community, guilt, and justice.
- Hans must unravel the intertwined threads of personal and cultural conflict.
- Quote:
“It becomes a complicated thread that Hans has to unravel.” (16:11)
- Role of Outsiders:
- Incorporation of foreign farmhands (American, German) was historically accurate and added depth to the community’s dynamics.
9. History: Johann Turi and Cultural Legacy
- On Johann Turi:
- Real-life Sami authority and wolf hunter featured in the novel.
- Collaborated with Danish ethnographer Emilie Demant Hatt to document Sami life—Hans’s family connection in the novel.
- Quote:
“He was worried that his whole culture would be destroyed. And that's when he met Amelia Demont Hot… they worked on… his life and about the culture… called Turi's Book of Lapland.” (19:53)
10. Closing and Next Projects
- Next Work:
- White is working on a biography of New Zealand artist Anna Kasselberg, but leaves the door open for Hans Sorensen’s return.
- Host expresses hope for more mysteries starring Hans.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“You describe how the sabotage is botched and someone's injured, and this is a mystery. And in addition to everything else this novel is, there's a mystery because a body is discovered.”
— G.P. Gottlieb (15:47) -
“Hans at this point is really ambivalent in some ways about the dam. He says at one point that, you know, what's so bad about having light for the kids when they're going to school, when it's so dark in the winter.”
— Sharon White (17:11) -
“Hans is part of this family and he's never had any interest in this great uncle until he starts to realize how deeply he's connected to this past.”
— Sharon White (22:57) -
“The whole book I really loved... I sat down to just read a few chapters… And then… I looked up and I had finished the whole book.”
— G.P. Gottlieb (23:47)
Important Timestamps
| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment | |-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:34–04:47 | Sharon White’s background, love for Finnmark, and title | | 05:06–06:21 | Survival and outsider perspective (Catherine) | | 07:41–08:47 | Hans Sorensen’s burnout and identity | | 10:01–12:14 | Sami culture and spirituality | | 12:34–14:01 | Alta Dam conflict and environmental stakes | | 14:01–15:47 | Landscape and nature descriptions | | 16:11–17:11 | Mystery element and suspects | | 19:33–22:57 | Johann Turi’s legacy and Hans’s connection | | 23:07–23:47 | Future projects and characters |
Tone and Language
The conversation is reflective, warm, and rich in personal anecdotes, matching the lyrical, contemplative tone of Sharon White's novel. Both host and guest are deeply engaged with the cultural and emotional landscapes of Norway, offering listeners both factual details and an evocative sense of place.
Summary Takeaway
This episode offers an immersive look into If the Owl Calls, a literary mystery that is as much about belonging and landscape as it is about crime. Sharon White’s personal connection to Finnmark and her nuanced portrayal of Sami culture and environmental struggle make the conversation essential for lovers of literary fiction, cultural history, and atmospheric mysteries.