Gratiana (2022)

2022

351 pages

Fiction

A brilliant story of destiny and the coming-of-age of a young woman in the early 20th century who tackles the conventions of her time – as well as herself.

After three years living in a small village, the hopes that Gratiana harbored for the future have come to nothing, but her mother Evlalia remains undaunted. She cunningly spins the wheel of life and marks a new path, not only for herself, but also for Gratiana and little Asdis. It leads to momentous changes – but not necessarily the ones intended. The ember of women’s rights still glows in Gratiana’s heart, but alongside it, other flames ignite: flames that burn her, that she doesn’t fully understand, and that she doesn’t know whether she wants to fan or extinguish.

Gratiana is the long-awaited continuation of Daughters, which was well received by readers and critics and was nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature.

Sample translation in English available from Daughters.

R E V I E W S

Reviews

(four and a half stars out of five possible) “The drama is intense, and the author really knows how to play with the readers’ emotions. The sorrow is beyond bearing, the joy contagious, and the wind will turn quite swiftly. The novel Gratiana is at least as good as Daughters - and I do think this is her best work so far.”

RAGNHEIDUR BIRGISDOTTIR, MORGUNBLADID DAILY

“The novel describes a great destiny and deep sorrow; it reminds us of major Icelandic works from the middle of last century … easy to read, a catching plot, and convincing characters. Gratiana is at least as brilliant as the previous book, and it is gratifying to renew the acquaintance with the characters and the scene, one that is so near and yet so far. CONCLUSION: An extremely well-written and entertaining book that brings to life love and destiny at the turn of the century before last.”

BRYNHILDUR BJORNSDOTTIR, FRETTABLADID DAILY

“She is extremely good at describing the zeitgeist, the scene and the characters.”

KOLBRUN BERGTHORSDOTTIR, KILJAN/NATIONAL TV

“A story bursting with life, inviting the reader to take a journey with a time machine, back to the twentieth century, pulling all the strings of the emotional spectrum.”

CULTURE WEB/ICELANDIC NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVIVE

(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 (about DAUGHTERS)

(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 (about DAUGHTERS)

“Especially well written … an impactful book and a fun read … hard to put down.”

FRETTABLADID DAILY (about DAUGHTERS)