Richard Fidler

Kári Gíslason

'I adored this book - a wondrous compendium of Iceland's best sagas' - Hannah Kent A new friendship. An unforgettable journey. A beautiful and bloody history. This is Iceland as you've never read it before ... Broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kari Gislason are good friends. They share a deep attachment to the sagas of Iceland - the true stories of the first Viking families who settled on that remote island in the Middle Ages.These are tales of blood feuds, of dangerous women, and people who are compelled to kill the ones they love the most. The sagas are among the greatest stories ever written, but the identity of their authors is largely unknown. Together, Richard and Kari travel across Iceland, to the places where the sagas unfolded a thousand years ago. They cross fields, streams and fjords to immerse themselves in the folklore of this fiercely beautiful island. And there is another mission: to resolve a longstanding family mystery - a gift from Kari's Icelandic father that might connect him to the greatest of the saga authors. Praise For Fidler & Gislason 'We already know Fidler is an interviewer of great empathy, now we know he mirrors that skill on the page, too.' Andrew McMillan, The Australian 'Kari's descriptions of Iceland are so beautiful that one is tempted to pack up and go there.' Bev Blaauw, Cairns Post

Saga Land

An epic and compelling novel that reimagines the fate of one of Iceland's famous women of history. After committing an audacious act of revenge for her brother's murder, Disa flees with her son through the fjords of Iceland. She has already endured the death of her loved ones. Now she must run to save her son, and her honour. In a society where betrayals and revenge killings are rife, all Disa has is her pride and her courage. Will it be enough for her and her son to escape retribution? Dramatic and urgent in its telling, The Sorrow Stone celebrates one woman's quest, against the dramatic backdrop of the Icelandic countryside. In this gripping novel, the co-author of the bestselling Saga Land takes a sidelined figure from the Viking tales and finally puts her where she belongs &– at the centre of the story.

The Sorrow Stone

Born from a secret liaison between a British mother and an Icelandic father, K? G'ason was the subject of a promise: a promise elicited by his father not to reveal his identity in order to spare his wife and five other children. At the age of 27, K? decides to break the pact between his parents by contacting his father? family; what follows makes for a riveting journey over landscapes, time, and memory. From the shark net at Sydney? Balmoral and an unsettled life in the English countryside to the harsh yellow summer of Brisbane and the freezing cold winters of Iceland, the author traces his mother? steps into the arms of a secret lover. At the culmination of this poignant, painful, and joyous story, K? determination to defy his father? wishes results in his uniting with his relatives.

The Promise of Iceland

In The Ash Burner, a sensitive, poignant novel about growing up, running away, and the many guises of love, 12-year-old Ted lives with his father, the local magistrate, in the small coastal town of Lion's Head. All Ted knows about his mother is that she died when he was a boy, and that his father—despite moving halfway across the world to start anew—still grieves for her privately. When he is hospitalized after a swimming accident, Ted meets Anthony and Claire, and is immediately captivated by the older pair. Intelligent and perspicacious, they introduce him to poetry and art, and he feels a sense of belonging at last. But as the trio's friendship intensifies over the years, Ted must learn to negotiate the boundaries of love and come to terms with a legacy of secrets and silence.

Kári Gíslason

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