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magicant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I have to say, this book was a ride to put it simply. The hook at the beginning of the book really brings you in, but gives you no way of seeing what you were getting yourself into. This is a harrowing tale, a story of fighting for yourself in a world completely against you in every way. It has happy moments, but most of the time, you can never tell if there is more bad around the corner.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
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