Reviews

The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson

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katys_books's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

jacki_f's review

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3.0

This is a book that has sat on my shelves for quite a while and which I've been quietly confident that I will like when I get to it. Possibly over the months or years that it sat there waiting, my expectations grew too high? I was quite underwhelmed by it and it took me much longer to read than I thought it would.

What I did like is that it's based on a true story and a piece of history that I knew nothing about. In 1627, a fleet of pirate ships from Algiers abducted 400 people - almost the entire population - from the island of Heimaey which is 4 miles off the southern coast of Iceland. The captives were taken to Algiers where they were sold into slavery. Many parts of Europe had slaves at that time but they were usually sailors captured at sea rather than raided from their homes.

Olafur Egilsson was one of those who was abducted. He was released to travel to Denmark and ask the King to pay a ransom to secure the Icelanders freedom. Egilsson's memoir describing the abduction and subsequent events is what inspired the Magnusson to write this book. At its heart is Egilsson's wife Asta, who remained in Algiers with their children as a slave. The novel is based on what is known about their lives.

So it's a fascinating story, split between 17th century Iceland and Algiers, both of which are vividly depicted. But it also held me at arm's length: I didn't feel involved with the characters and the middle section in particular felt very drawn out.

kazked's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

tsentas's review

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3.0

Inspired by real life historical events (the Barbary pirate raid of Iceland in the early 1600's)...but maybe still grounded in certain tropes of the present day. Yes, sure the enslaved Icelandic woman - alone among all the other enslaved women in the household - catches the eye of the beguiling half Moor slaver who offers to make her his third wife if she just converts to Islam. To stay and live with him in sunny pleasant Algiers where fruit and water are plentiful or to be ransomed and returned to her husband, the slightly aloof and much older priest, in a harsh, cold and windy environment where you can't even get an orange when you want one? A bit too melodramatic in my view and could have done without the faux tension building relationship in favor of a more thorough exploration of captive life in Algiers.

annabelws23's review against another edition

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3.0

3*s feels a bit mean on reflection, probably a 3.5* for me. Having thought about this book for a couple of days, I think the main thing that inhibited me from immersing myself completely was the pace. The first section felt too long, the middle section could have done with being a bit longer, particularly in developing the character relationships between Asta and Cilleby which I found I couldn’t quite believe as entirely credible. That being said, I did find the writing beautiful, the sense of place in both the Icelandic and Algerian landscapes was very well executed, and I did find the end very affecting. This is one of those books I feel I have got more from on reflecting and thinking on it, than when I was reading it.