Iceland in centuries past was a formidable place
to live. Situated in the North Atlantic Ocean,
on the edge of the inhabitable world, the nation
was both isolated and abjectly poor. Centuries
of colonisation translated into oppression and
subjugation from the colonial overlords, and a
hostile climate and repeated natural disasters
meant that mere survival was a challenge to even
the hardiest of souls. In these 50 miniature
essays, Alda Sigmundsdottir writes about the
Icelanders in centuries past in a light and
humourous way, yet never without admiration and
respect for the resilience and strength they
showed in coping with conditions of adversity
that are barely imaginable today.