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The Sealwoman's Gift: the Zoe Ball book club novel of 17th century Iceland
Sally Magnusson
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'A remarkable feat of imagination ... I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure' Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT
1627. In a notorious historical event, pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 people into slavery in Algiers. Among them a pastor, his wife, and their children.
In her acclaimed debut novel Sally Magnusson imagines what history does not record: the experience of Asta, the pastor's wife, as she faces her losses with the one thing left to her - the stories from home - and forges an ambiguous bond with the man who bought her. Uplifting, moving, and sharply witty, THE SEALWOMAN'S GIFT speaks across centuries and oceans about loss, love, resilience and redemption.SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN | THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD | THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE | THE PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE | THE WAVERTON GOOD READ AWARD | A ZOE BALL ITV BOOK CLUB PICK
'Sally Magnusson has taken an amazing true event and created a brilliant first novel. It's an epic journey in every sense: although it's historical, it's incredibly relevant to our world today. We had to pick it' Zoe Ball Book Club
'A powerful tale of Barbary pirates ... richly imagined and energetically told' Sunday Times 'An extraordinarily immersive read ... examining themes of motherhood, identity, exile and freedom' Guardian'Fascinating ... a really, really good read' BBC R2 Book Club'The best sort of historical novel' Scotsman 'A lyrical tale' Stylist 'A poetic retelling of Icelandic history' Daily Mail 'Compelling stuff' Good Housekeeping'Icelandic history has been brought to extraordinary life... An accomplished and intelligent novel' Yrsa Siguroardottir, author of WHY DID YOU LIE?'Vivid and compelling' Adam Nichols, co-translator of The Travels of Reverend Olafur Egilsson
*And Sally Magnusson's second novel, THE NINTH CHILD, publishes February 2020 - available to pre-order now*
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Praise for The Sealwoman's Gift: the Zoe Ball book club novel of 17th century Iceland
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From the first, it leaps from the page... I found myself absolutely persuaded by Asta's extraordinary journey from the harsh Icelandic coast to the strange and splendid palaces of Algiers. I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure - Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENTIcelandic history has been brought to extraordinary life. I was swept up in the story and the vivid plight of people taken away from everything they knew and understood. An accomplished and intelligent novel. - Yrsa Siguroardottir, author of WHY DID YOU LIE?A compelling read...While a historical novel, it also contains contemporary resonances, particularly in the way it examines how different people integrate into a society that is completely foreign to them - The BooksellerAn astonishing novel that will stay with me for a long time...Asta Thorsteinsdottir is a truly remarkable and resourceful heroine - Angie CrawfordFrom the first, it leaps from the page... I found myself absolutely persuaded by Asta's extraordinary journey from the harsh Icelandic coast to the strange and splendid palaces of Algiers. I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure - Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENTA remarkable feat of imagination that trasports the reader to 17th-century Iceland and Algiers ... an extraordinarily immersive read that emphasises the power of stories, examining themes of motherhood, identity, exile and freedom. Through her deft storytelling, Magnusson takes us on a journey that not only crosses continents, but encompasses tragedy and rich sensuality. - GuardianAn evocative, striking new novel ... which brings an Icelandic historical tragedy, and in particular, Icelandic woman Asta Egilsson, back to pulsing life. - Sunday TimesMoving, accomplished ... Richly imagined and energetically told, The Sealwoman's Gift is a powerful tale of loss and endurance - Sunday Times
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