The Swell by Kat Gordon

Book Blurb

IN PLACES OF DARKNESS, WOMEN WILL RISE . . .

Iceland, 1910. In the middle of a severe storm two sisters – Freyja and Gudrun – rescue a mysterious, charismatic man from a shipwreck near their remote farm.

Sixty-five years later, a young woman – Sigga – is spending time with her grandmother when they learn a body has been discovered on a mountainside near Reykjavik, perfectly preserved in ice.

Moving between the turn of the 20th century and the 1970s as a dark mystery is unravelled, The Swell is a spellbinding, beautifully atmospheric read, rich in Icelandic myth.

My Review
I would like to thank Manilla Press and Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for my copy of this book in return for my honest review. The Swell is a historical read set in 1910 and 1975 Iceland. In 1910, sisters Freyja and Gundrún live with their father in a small dwelling on their remote farm. One night they see a shipwreck and rescue a young man Tomas, who becomes a huge part of their lives, especially Freyja’s. In 1975 Sigga is just eighteen, when she hears the story of a body being found frozen on a mountain, something that has an effect on her Amma. As the two stories develop long held secrets come to light and three women find out who they really are.

The Swell is very much a character led book, with three strong female lead characters. Although there are sixty five years between the stories Freyja, Gudrún and Sigga, all face the same constraints that society puts on them for being female. In 1910, Freja and Gudrún live a very isolated existence where woman are seen to look after the men, in their case their father as neither are married. I loved Gudrún, she was strong, both physically and mentally, she wants more, wants to be able to make her own choices, not get married and earn her own living; all things she can’t do as a woman.

In 1975 things should have moved on, and they have but just not much as Sigga and her Amma thought they would. Both are campaingming for women’s rights, to be able to make their own choices, to have some independence. Sigga is finding out who she is, a suspected pregnancy makes her look at what she wants to do, who she wants to be. I loved her relationship with her Amma, she is the one she turns to, who she relates to, and who she looks up to, but her Amma has secrets of her own.

The writing of this book is lyrical, atmospheric and haunting. Kat Gordon is a very visual writer, her descriptions of the rugged landscape, the mountainside, how Freyja and Gudrún were at the mercy of the elements and seasons which their lives were tied to. She also gets into the psyche of these women, their hopes and fears, making them feel relatable, and as women we understand how they feel. At the centre of this book is feminism, how long women have had to fight for the right to own their own property, make their own decisions, earn their own money and be seen as equal in a patriarchal society.

The Swell is an engaging and captivating book to read. Kat Gordon beautifully weaves the stories of these three women together in a narrative that covers sixty five years, but seems to transcend time as well. I loved Freja’s and Gudrún’s stories, the strength they showed in the face of adversity, challenging the norms of society in any small way they can and how Sigga continues that. It is testament to Kat Gordon’s storytelling that I read this book in one day, the haunting prose drew me in as well as the fascinating characters. This is a brillliant book and one I highly recommend.