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A review by markhoh
The Sacrament by Olaf Olafsson
5.0
“Time frequently stands still, even though the years fly by, and before we know it things have come to an end. Sometimes, I feel I have traveled a long road only to end up where I started”. p277
What a sombre, haunting, evocative and poetic story Olaf Olafsson has told in his novel, The Sacrament. Set in both Iceland and France, Olafsson weaves two sometimes three timelines seamlessly, lyrically composing a compelling story of faith, doubt, love, hope, justice and redemption.
The Sacrament is a story told through the life of Sister Johanna Marie, a nun sent by the Vatican to explore allegations of abuse at a Catholic school in Reykjavík, Iceland. In some ways Iceland represented a defining aspect of Sister Johanna’s life, the place where ultimately the deepest questions and yearnings of her soul found something resembling answers. Olafsson painstakingly portrays a story of abuse allegations that are fraught with barriers at every turn leading to an ultimate act of resolution. Sadly, although this story is a work of fiction it ultimately reflects events that are grounded in the reality of so many.
The journey that Sister Johanna takes from France to Iceland is kind of like a metaphorical journey of the soul. Iceland is the perfect setting, both winter and summer, for the mood, atmosphere and reflection of the story. I was particularly intrigued by the location in Reykjavík itself as on a personal note this is the exact area that I stayed when I visited Iceland a few years ago. It was amazing to revisit the streets I walked and stayed on and this kept me riveted to the pages.
I wrote down so many excerpts from this book. The whole story is like a narrative of the soul. Sister Johanna is in so many ways a tortured and conflicted woman, her faith is called into question and she wrestles her own inner demons. While these are somewhat resolved they remain open ended and questioned throughout the story which adds a real authenticity.
I loved this book so much. It was really evocative for me. 5 stars easily.
What a sombre, haunting, evocative and poetic story Olaf Olafsson has told in his novel, The Sacrament. Set in both Iceland and France, Olafsson weaves two sometimes three timelines seamlessly, lyrically composing a compelling story of faith, doubt, love, hope, justice and redemption.
The Sacrament is a story told through the life of Sister Johanna Marie, a nun sent by the Vatican to explore allegations of abuse at a Catholic school in Reykjavík, Iceland. In some ways Iceland represented a defining aspect of Sister Johanna’s life, the place where ultimately the deepest questions and yearnings of her soul found something resembling answers. Olafsson painstakingly portrays a story of abuse allegations that are fraught with barriers at every turn leading to an ultimate act of resolution. Sadly, although this story is a work of fiction it ultimately reflects events that are grounded in the reality of so many.
The journey that Sister Johanna takes from France to Iceland is kind of like a metaphorical journey of the soul. Iceland is the perfect setting, both winter and summer, for the mood, atmosphere and reflection of the story. I was particularly intrigued by the location in Reykjavík itself as on a personal note this is the exact area that I stayed when I visited Iceland a few years ago. It was amazing to revisit the streets I walked and stayed on and this kept me riveted to the pages.
I wrote down so many excerpts from this book. The whole story is like a narrative of the soul. Sister Johanna is in so many ways a tortured and conflicted woman, her faith is called into question and she wrestles her own inner demons. While these are somewhat resolved they remain open ended and questioned throughout the story which adds a real authenticity.
I loved this book so much. It was really evocative for me. 5 stars easily.