The Sorrow Stone (Kári Gíslason, UQP)

In the wintery and unforgiving wilds of pre-medieval Iceland, a widow named Disa and her young son are running in fear of their lives. Disa has committed a bloody act of revenge: stabbing her brother’s murderer and then escaping the clutches of his vengeful men. Her son has already been beaten for the crime. If caught, Disa will be killed. As she desperately seeks out safe passage to her brother’s home, unsure what awaits them, we learn her story. The Sorrow Stone—the title a euphemism for the heart—is a true Icelandic saga retold for 21st-century readers: a reworking of The Saga of Gisli from the perspective of Gisli’s sister Thordis, here named Disa. It’s a fresh retelling of a tale deeply embedded in Icelandic culture and spotlights how deeply integral these women and their lives are to these stories, yet how infrequently they are given a voice. Co-author of the bestselling Saga Land, Kári Gíslason now weaves a story rich with detail, a tale of an ancient culture on the brink of conversion to Christianity, told and retold in the sagas of Iceland’s people for thousands of years. The Sorrow Stone is an entirely enthralling, rich and bloody saga filled with revenge, betrayal, passion and murder. Readers of Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites will find much to enjoy here. 

Georgia Brough is a teacher, critic and writer.

Category: Reviews