We're in 17th century Iceland, and can feel its chill, its landscape, its folk and religious history in the pages of this story. Young Rósa rather precipitately marries Jón, a leader in a distant village, to ensure her ailing widowed mother some security. Here she is deliberately isolated by her controlling husband, who is a widower. No spoiler alerts here, but tensions rise as her isolation increases, and as her childhood sweetheart appears on the scene. A cleverly written novel, in which Rósa's unease, and her increasing inability to keep a grasp on what is real, and what the product of a fevered and frightened imagination keeps the reader guessing. ( )

This was enjoyable fiction set in 1600s Iceland that follows the life of a young woman who is love with her childhood sweetheart, but marries a well-off stranger to provide for her mother. She moves away to his village and finds that her fears about this man and her situation were well-founded. Typical themes of burgeoning Christianity vs. the old folk tales, the powerlessness of women in those times, the dangers of gossip, etc. It was entertaining but nothing special. ( )

“Their words make grey clouds of sound in the cold air...”
― Caroline Lea, The Glass Woman

Clothed in wild Gothic beauty, drenched in vivid Prose, one can hear the howling sea, feel the Iceland cold and see the village people. More to follow.

So.as you may have guessed I liked this book!

As many have commented, it takes place in the 1600S in Iceland. And what atmosphere this book has.
The book's writing is gorgeous and sweeping and that, together with the vivid characterizations make this a book well worth reading.

It is a tough book to review without giving spoilers. I will say I disagree with many of the other reviewers. I've read several reviews that say the book was slow at first to get into but towards the middle it captures them. For me it was the opposite.

I was into this from page one. I felt the book did draw one in immediately and I was willing and eager to be drawn in. I quite liked Rosa and there were aspects of this book that were genuinely haunting and creepy. Like, for example. what was going on in the attic. This aspect was pure Gothic and I loved it.

So why a 3 and not a 4? Because as good as the book was I started losing interest as it went on. So the opposite of what the above mentioned comments from other reviewers happened to me.

SPOILERS:

As soon as it was established Anna was alive, I felt my interest wane a bit. The story then became a bit predictable and also a bit scattered, at least for me. And as much as I liked this, I felt, even in the beginning there was so much repetition to the plot, that I was not as into it as I would have liked.

That does not mean it isn't a good a story. Rarely have I read a book so rich in atmosphere and it is worth reading just for that. I also learned so much about Iceland. I am glad I read this.

I wasn't all that happy with the ending. I felt there were many unanswered questions and I'd have liked Jon to survive. One thing I felt from the beginning is that Jon did not kill Anna. I am glad I was right in that respect. I actually came to like him as a character.

My favorite parts of this book were the descriptions of the sea, the village and villagers and the incredible writing in general. But had this story taken place without all that incredible atmosphere I may not have finished it. I was into the atmosphere more then the story itself.

So 3.5 stars and highly recommended for Historical Fiction and Gothic fans. ( )

I heard about this book on Strong Sense of Place podcast Iceland episode, and then found the audio on Hoopla.

I thought this book was going to be be straight historical ficti0n (1600s Iceland), but it ended up being a historical thriller? I didn't even know that was a thing, but it was fine. I have been in a bit of an audiobook slump lately, and this kept me interested, which lately has been unusual! The author is English and I don't know how accurate/researched anything in this novel is, but it let me listening.

There are actually two narrators on the audio, a man and a woman. Hoopla only names the woman, Hei∂a Reed, who is fantastic. Her (presumably Icelandic) accent is strong enough to give flavor but also very easy to listen to and understand. The man's accent--or maybe his stylizing the voice of Jon--is a bit rougher, but was also fine. ( )

This story takes place in 1680s Iceland, which is already pretty out of the norm for my reading, but this book was so dark, mysterious and atmospheric. It was like nothing I've ever read before. Rósa falls on hard times and must marry a visiting trader in order to help her family, but once she's at his home, she faces overwhelming seclusion. ( )