Daughters (2020)
2020
340 pages
Fiction
Historical Fiction
In a small village in the Westfjords of Iceland at the turn of the 20th century, everyone knows their place. Nobody has ideas above their station and a single mother of three children has no chance. Her daughter, Gratiana, yearns for different times and a better life. She rejects the obligations placed on her, she wants to wear trousers, prefers wine over water, and she wants Sella to be allowed to sing and Rannveig to go to school. A powerful story about the harsh reality of a small village in Iceland. You will meet tough women, delicate souls, thinkers and thugs, who all have their own hopes and dreams, triumphs and sorrows.
Shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) 2021
R E V I E W S
Reviews
(five stars out of five possible) “Gratiana is a marvellous character just like the people around her … the characters are all well thought-through, both main and side characters, and bring much colour to the story. Each of them plays a vital part in the narrative and is self-consistent. Regarding the plot, the much-used phrase “I couldn’t put the book down” applies here … It is impossible to be stingy with the stars when a book like Daughters comes along, I wish I could give it more than five stars.”
RAGNHILDUR THRASTARDOTTIR, MORGUNBLADID DAILY
(four stars out of five possible) “The characterisation is excellent, side characters as well as main characters are well thought-out and make their mark on the story. It is not often that I finish a book and immediately long for a sequel, but now I beg of the author: Can we get more stories of Gratiana, please?”
SÆUNN GISLADOTTIR, LESTRARKLEFINN
“Especially well written … an impactful book and a fun read … hard to put down.”
FRETTABLADID DAILY
Rights Sold
HungaryMetropolis Media Group
SerbiaTreci Trg