Heida – A Shepherd at the Edge of the World (2016)

Heida, named after the one-and-only Heidi of literary fame, is a solitary farmer, with a flock of five-hundred sheep on the farm Ljotarstadir in a remorseless area bordering Iceland’s highlands. One of Heida’s nearest neighbors is Iceland’s most notorious volcano, Katla, which has repeatedly driven away the inhabitants of Ljotarstadir ever since people first started farming there in the twelfth century.

The heroic tale of this charismatic young woman, who had a chance to work as a model in New York, is divided according to the four seasons. Heiða tells of her struggles with herself and the powers of nature with deep feeling, keen wit and humor, weaving the narrative with anecdotes of her animals and farm work. Heida’s energetic narrative is interspersed with her deftly-composed quatrains, as well as her insightful reflections on Icelandic nature.

AWARDS

The Women's Literature Prize in Iceland The Icleandic Bookseller's Prize