Aud the Deep-Minded (2009)

“As with Davidsdottir’s previous work, Aud the Deep-Minded is a wonderful book ... a coming-of-age story of Audur the Deep-Minded, which becomes both powerful and fascinating in Davidsdottir’s hands.”

“Davidsdottir’s knowledge of history and folklore is revealed in her descriptions of both the outer forms of society and the inner workings of its beliefs based on a heathen religion and its domineering ethos of superstition and ancient custom. There are detailed descriptions of domestic utensils and daily life, along with various traditions and practices involved in marriages, blood sacrifices, and burial rites. Particular attention is paid to events in the lives of women, such as being in labour and giving birth to and breast-feeding babies. But all such descriptions are carefully woven into the narrative plot itself so that the reader is presented with a broad and convincing picture of a heathen, Viking society. It is also evident that Davidsdottir is very knowledgeable concerning the geographic and natural background of her story. There are many magnificent descriptions of natural phenomena in which the ocean, cliffs and birds play leading roles. It could be said the author reaches the heights of her art in her vivid and tangible presentation of natural forces that so easily come to life in the readers’ imagination. … The trilogy of Aud the Deep-Minded also has an exceptionally meaningful resonance within the world of our own times, as indeed do all classic historical novels. While reading the trilogy, the reader is continually reminded of the fate of ordinary folk in history, especially that of women and children, as victims of war and internecine violence in contemporary nations, and the consequent flood of refugees. Aud the Deep-Minded Ketilsdottir was perhaps first and foremost a refugee who succeeded in escaping conflict and securing a new life for herself and her descendants in a new land.”