Land of Hope (2014)

Land of Hope (2014)

They arrive in Reykjavik on foot, two friends, hoping to find employment in a good home as maids. In the meantime, they support themselves by washing clothes, salting fish, carrying coal, for these are the occupations open to independent women. Their workdays are long and difficult. Nevertheless, they choose the hard but independent town life over the dependent drudgery of the countryside.

Land of Hope is a tale of Reykjavik in the late 19th century; the story of a few women living together in a small hovel, trying to make it from day to day. While there will be plenty of setbacks, they also know how to coax enjoyment from what they have, and make the most of precious little. Kristin Steinsdottir has garnered much praise for her novels, not least the bestseller Brightness. In this lively and captivating story, she again explores the lives of remarkable women, who are determined to escape the constraints of poverty – and strive for it.