The Wonders of Lake Myvatn (2017)

A glorious work of art...one of the most beautiful books that has ever been published in Iceland. Unnur’s writing is accessible and entertaining...The bird and flower illustrations in the book are remarkable and so it’s possible to enjoy it [the book] on countless levels.

This is an amazing book. Personal, while at the same time traversing the paths of Icelandic culture, life in the countryside, and the natural sciences with great insight and respect, and with moving stories, descriptions, and explanations about what our senses cannot perceive. It speaks to a respect for our land, people, and its history...And right alongside Unnur, offering scientific explanations that in their folksiness are easily understood, is her husband, a biologist and artist; Arni Einarsson is a notable advisor to the Wonders of Lake Myvatn. His watercolor illustrations are a delight and the envy of anyone who holds a brush himself. ... The book has, in my mind, a much broader appeal and larger stage than the name and subject matter alone suggest...This lovely little book has a big message. Everything nice that Unnur writes about the wonders of Myvatn is, in a broader context, about what small fry we are and the damage that we incur. ... Unnur takes us on a micro-journey into a little drop of lake water and once there, it’s like looking out into the cosmos — a vast expanse of microorganisms like galaxies. … Like a detective, she presents herself with the mystery of life and presents us with 2017’s summer reading. Forget all those thrillers. Everything small becomes everything big, the relationship between our lives and history, our land and nation. Lake Myvatn is not just Lake Myvatn, but rather all of our lakes, which we’re now trying to ruin ...