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A review by acouplereadss
Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World by Eliza Reid
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman—but why?
Eliza Reid, born and raised in Ontario Canada now the “First Lady” of Iceland, dives into what is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in the ongoing battle for gender equality.
The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar, an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women. Reid examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand.
Non-fiction has been creeping into my reading this year and I have been loving it. If I’ve been pulled to a book I’ve picked it up. If I’ve been itching to read a new memoir I made sure to follow my gut. This year has been the most varied in terms of books and I’m so glad because it led me to Secrets of the Sprakkar.
This was a slower read but one that I learned a lot from. On October 24, 1975 90% of the women in Iceland took a stand, they all walked out of their jobs, be it at home or at the office, and gathered in the centre of Rejkjavik in a positive protest. 5)3 effect generated waves in the society, within a year Icelands parliament had passed a law guaranteeing equal rights between men and women. Iceland promotes gender equality and continues to do so. Although this helped women overall, I’d be remiss to mention that Reid does make sure to illuminate that there is more work to be done with supporting the LGBTQ+ community (specifically trans people).
I recommend this read to everyone! Reid’s writing is excellent and the anecdotes bring life and relatability to the topic, 5✨.
Eliza Reid, born and raised in Ontario Canada now the “First Lady” of Iceland, dives into what is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in the ongoing battle for gender equality.
The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar, an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women. Reid examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand.
Non-fiction has been creeping into my reading this year and I have been loving it. If I’ve been pulled to a book I’ve picked it up. If I’ve been itching to read a new memoir I made sure to follow my gut. This year has been the most varied in terms of books and I’m so glad because it led me to Secrets of the Sprakkar.
This was a slower read but one that I learned a lot from. On October 24, 1975 90% of the women in Iceland took a stand, they all walked out of their jobs, be it at home or at the office, and gathered in the centre of Rejkjavik in a positive protest. 5)3 effect generated waves in the society, within a year Icelands parliament had passed a law guaranteeing equal rights between men and women. Iceland promotes gender equality and continues to do so. Although this helped women overall, I’d be remiss to mention that Reid does make sure to illuminate that there is more work to be done with supporting the LGBTQ+ community (specifically trans people).
I recommend this read to everyone! Reid’s writing is excellent and the anecdotes bring life and relatability to the topic, 5✨.