The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley

The Tricking of Freya

When I first heard about this book, my ears pricked up as soon as I learned it was about Iceland. I love books about Iceland or Greenland! One of my very favorite books is The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley, which describes the life of a group of Icelanders that settle in Greenland in the 11th Century.

The Tricking of Freya (2009) is nothing to do with settlements in the past, but is about a woman trying to find her cousin. Freya is born in the 1960s. With her father dead when she was two, she only has her mother, while her grandmother and aunt live in Canada in an Icelandic, well, settlement, really! But then a modern one. All Freya’s maternal family is originally from Iceland.

Freya has heard lots of stories about life in Winnipeg, where her mother grew up, and stories about the great writers and poets of Iceland, one of which was her grandfather. We follow the life of Freya, from a small girl to an adult looking for her cousin. Because when Freya is in her twenties, she hears that her aunt Birdie had an illegitimate child that was put up for adoption. Freya has very little family left, so she wants to find this child.

The book is a long letter to the unknown cousin. Freya takes upon her the task of relating what she knows of her aunt Birdie to her cousin. Birdie died years ago and the cousin won’t be able to experience her mother themselves. Every summer from the age of seven, Freya and her mother visited Freya’s grandmother and aunt Birdie, so Freya knew her aunt quite well.

I loved reading about Iceland, where Freya goes one summer as a child, and also as an adult. I’ve been there once and recognized a few things. The story was really well-written, and it was a great book to read. The only slight problem I had was that while I was happy (very happy!) to read the book, when I wasn’t reading, I had no great urge to continue with the book. So, it wasn’t always compelling.

Rating: 4.5/5

I got this book: from Carin B. of A Little Bookish, who enjoyed the book very much and was so kind to send it to me. Thanks, Carin!

I read this in: the original language: English.

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Carin’s review of this book can be found HERE.

Amy from Amy Reads also read this book. Her review is HERE. And Kim of Sophicated Dorkiness’ review is HERE.

Check also the author’s blog about her visit to Iceland.