Headlines:
Historical patriarchy
Icy mysteriousness
Sisters(hood)

The Swell was a sweeping read that captured my imagination totally as a frequent visitor to Iceland over the years. The description of a historical Iceland was somewhat barren in terms of finances for Freyja and Gudrun but rich in love and connection. However, the patriarchal society of a small village/town was disempowering for women but Gudrun especially was a headstrong women.

The story was told on two timelines, 1910 and 1975 with a body found in the ice linking the two. I felt most connected to the timeline in 1910 but Sigga's story (1975) and that of her Amma's drew me in more and more. I puzzled with a few different theories about the body and the reality of it was cleverly completed. The mystery of this story was elusive and wrapped in cold, rugged feelings.

The men in this story had balance. There were some awful men (I'm looking at that priest and an other) and some good men like Sigga's father and Tomas. These differing types of men helped bring the feminist slant to this tale and that element was well written especially.

The afterword to this story was interesting and I felt a real nod to the author at the mention of Nan Shepherd's work. Gordon's description of the land, lava fields and weather was good.

Thank you to Manilla Press for the review copy. I would highly recommend this for an unputdownable read.