Beasts of the Sea

An impeccably researched debut, and an adventure through three centuries of scientific exploration.

In 1741, naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller joins the Great Northern Expedition, as captain Vitus Bering and his crew

scout out a sea route from Asia to America. Although they never reach the American mainland, they make a unique discovery, now known as Steller's sea cow.

In 1859, Hampus Furuhjelm, the Finnish governor of the Russian territory of Alaska, sends his men to seek the

skeleton of this massive marine mammal, rumoured to have vanished a hundred years before.

In 1952, John Gronvall, a restorer at what is now the Finnish Museum of Natural History, is assigned the task of

refurbishing the skeleton of Steller's sea cow, long since extinct.

Approaching the subject of biodiversity through individual destinies, Beasts of the Sea is a story of grand human ambitions and the urge to resurrect what humankind, in its ignorance, has destroyed.

Translated from the Finnish by David Hackston

Turpeinen's debut novel, Beasts of the Sea, which focuses on a single sea cow and individuals linked to it over a span of three centuries, makes the ecological ruptures and freefall of the entire world a palpable experience. [...] This science-fueled book will move you and have you holding your breath. Helsingin Sanomat

IIDA TURPEINEN (b. 1987) is a Helsinki-based literary scholar currently writing a dissertation on the intersection of the natural sciences and literature. As an author, she is intrigued by the literary potential of scientific research and by the offbeat anecdotes and meanderings from the history of science. Turpeinen's short stories exploring the relationship between humans and animals won the J. H. Erkko Young Writers' Competition in 2014. Her debut novel, Beasts of the Sea (2023) is the winner of the Helsingin Sanomat Prize 2023, and shortlisted for the Finlandia Award 2023.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.