Steinunn Sigurðardóttir

The writing looped around and sometimes threw me off, and the central event of the story was apparent long before the book gets to it - and still I could not put it down. The word that keeps coming to mind is "compelling", although that feels weirdly academic. Anticipation mixed with unease comes closer.

Potential readers take note: there are two Martins, they are friends, and this information is not a spoiler or mystery (although it took awhile for my jet-lagged brain to figure it out).

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Sérstök og eftirminnileg ástarsaga eftir Steinunni. Frásagnaraðilinn er ung kona sem býr ein og líður vel þannig þegar hún fellur fyrir manni sem fer á fjörurnar við hana. Þau eru bæði á vissan hátt kaldlynd og halda samskiptum í þessu ástarsambandi í lágmarki. Þó taka ástríðurnar á köflum völdin.
Tilfinningalega fjarlægð elskendanna veldur þó flækjum í samböndum þeirra við aðra.
Skemmtilega skrifuð og húmorísk, sérstaklega í glímu konunnar við óþolandi fullkomna foreldra sína, og fjallar vel um hamingju og ást þegar tilfinningakuldi markar svo oft samskipti einstaklinga.… (more)

Here's a book to give to a teen who is fascinated with the larger world and for whom you have secret aspirations of greatness. Leave it on your coffee table or somewhere where it will get picked up and read.

In a no-nonsense translation, the life of Heida Ásgeirsdóttir is presented in seasons of a single year. The writing is straightforward and, judging from other reviews, does not appeal to everyone. The lack of lyricism didn't bother me much as a reader, but I was curious that a culture that prides itself on extemporaneous poetry could not produce a more poetic text. The translator perhaps?

Nevertheless, Heida tells us a lot about Iceland, its climate and natural world, and the rigors of farming. We learn how solitary farming is and thus how important social conventions, including wild parties, are to a rural culture.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Scandinavian culture, rural culture, and sheep. It's also wildly feminist.

I received a review copy of "Heida: A Shepherd at the Edge of the World" by Steinunn Sigurðardóttir (John Murray) through NetGalley.com.… (more)