The Glass Woman

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A group of villagers gathered to watch and talk, but there was one man among them who remained silent; because he knew the who the person under under the ice had been and he knew how that person had come to be there …. While the ending was fitting to an extent, it did not fulfil the promise of the early part of the book. It is hard to pinpoint where exactly things began to go wrong, but as the two storylines converged the story lost its fluidity, and the answers to the mysteries were not as breathtaking as I hoped or anticipated. The glass woman itself is actually fairly irrelevant to plot, instead playing more of a symbolic role. Some aspects of the plot were similar to The Miniaturist.

This was a buddy read with my friend Kriti, one which we pencilled in to our respective calendars as early as last November! We discussed the book at the end of each of the seven parts, taking turns to ask each other questions. It was a fun and insightful discussion, and I shall share some of it later in the post. One of the strongest elements in The Glass Woman is the Icelandic setting. The descriptions of the harsh environment, and the isolation because of this, forms the core of this historical mystery. I also found the move from, and struggle between, their Sagas to Christianity very interesting. Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful.' - Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton Rosa is more educated than most people and yet, she still ends up in a marriage where she seems to be under constraints. That speaks to the year that this book is set in but I also think there is a connection to the glass woman. What are your thoughts?Intensely written and atmospheric, with an unusual setting, this is a stark evocation of a community where fear of the outsider is rife and unsettling.”— Daily Mail, UK Memorable and compelling. A novel about what haunts us - and what should.' -Sarah Moss, author of The Times Book of the Year Ghost Wall A mesmerizing and visceral tale of faith and resilience, love and agency, and the corrosive effects of our deepest secrets.”— Brooklyn Digest Century Iceland: Witchcraft is punishable by death. Women are held submissive by virtue of Biblical scriptures. Food is scarce and the ocean is a death trap. The season of winter looms over villages like the shadow of the Engill dauðans.

He told her that he didn’t want his wife mixing with the people in the village; and when she approached her neighbours she found that they were reluctant to speak to her, that there was a mystery surrounding the death of the death of Jón’s first wife, and that they would say to her was that she should obey her husband. Rósa was a wonderfully engaging character and I really felt that I was living through this story with her. I understood her feelings, and I appreciated how carefully she walked the line as she tried to please her husband and to establish a life for herself. My first reservation was that the time and place didn’t seem that specific. The setting was beautifully realised, the landscape had a significant part to play in the story; but I couldn’t help thinking that the story might have been set in any isolated community in a cold country, at a point in history where there were tensions between old and new traditions. Twisty, dark and chillingly believable. The Glass Woman is a gripping exploration of memory, loss and AI.”

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ICELAND. A time of few choices for a woman. When marriage is not a choice but a means of survival. When you can't marry someone, you have feelings for as he/she might be a social class above or below you. Then, there is the threat of being labeled a witch…. ahh, the good ole days..... Sometimes I wonder if God hears my grief. Prayers fall like pebbles from my lips, and still the Lord is silent. Even the creator cannot unmake the past."

Filled with Icelandic saga references and superstitions, this is a story that I found bewitching. The beginning was a bit difficult for me to adjust to with the use of old language, but I could not stop reading. This novel kept me engaged throughout. I was constantly trying to figure out how did Jon’s first wife die? How did he kill her, or did he have someone else do it? What are the mysterious noises in his croft? Will Rosa be safe, or will she run, or will the marriage grow into love? What about her and Pall? Is Petur to be trusted? She had received an offer of marriage from Jón, the wealthy leader of a settlement some distance away. He promised to look after her mother and the local community; and so, though she didn’t want to leave her mother, her home and Páll – her childhood sweetheart who she had always thought she would wed – she knew that she had to accept the proposal. The Glass Woman is a mysterious and captivating tale of love, fear and superstition, perfect for readers of The Miniaturist, The Silent Companions, and The Bear & The Nightingale. SD: Jon’s account is becoming increasingly fascinating. It strongly suggests that Jon killed her, but it does not say how, or whether that was what he intended. That could be significant.Jon is evasive and enigmatic, not allowing her to mix with the other villagers and rarely showing her any affection other than giving her a small glass figurine of a woman. He leaves Rosa alone in their croft for long periods of time, and she begins to hear strange noises from the attic she has been prevented from entering, which causes her to fear for her sanity. Is this some Icelandic version of Jane Eyre in which a madwoman lurks in the attic? Or do ghosts haunt the household? In a sense they do, although the truth Rosa eventually uncovers in this compelling, atmospheric novel are more material and more disturbing than her imaginings.' - Sunday Times The Glass Woman is a retelling of 'Bluebeard': this becomes clearer as the story goes on, though Lea strays from the template in pleasing ways. In terms of more contemporary fiction, it has the intrigue and emotional core of The Miniaturist combined with the setting and atmosphere of Burial Rites. It also reminded me a little of The Silent Companions – both feature a recently married woman travelling to her husband's home, only to find it filled with secrets and things that go bump in the night. That does not mean it isn't a good a story. Rarely have I read a book so rich in atmosphere and it is worth reading just for that. I also learned so much about Iceland. I am glad I read this.

An enthralling tale of the Icelandic witch trials.' - Stacey Halls, bestselling author of The Familiars But such moments of savage contentment are as fleeting as the reflection of the swelling moon blinking upon the surface of the sea. Only ever minutes old, they dissolve with a passing cloud, or a gust of wind.

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Undoubtedly the biggest strength of this book was the writing. It was incredibly descriptive and filled with tension and foreboding, and that more than compensated for the relatively slow pace. Much of it is driven by the setting, which is synonymous with the story and provides the basis for numerous metaphors and analogies that are evident right from the beginning. Clothed in wild Gothic beauty, drenched in vivid Prose, one can hear the howling sea, feel the Iceland cold and see the village people. More to follow. Weird noise keeps Rósa awake at night and she is convinced that there are dark spirits at play in the settlement. With an unsupportive husband who is very commanding and the feeling of dread hanging over her, could Rósa’s life be in danger?, and can she solve the mystery of what happened to Jón’s first wife, the wife he refuses to talk about? She hoped that things would be better when she was settled in her new home, but her husband made it clear that she was to be subservient and remain at the their croft to keep house and leave only at his bidding. The storytelling kept me close to her, and while it moved slowly at times I realised that it had to, to catch the reality of Rósa’s situation.