The Sealwoman’s Gift
- Author Sally Magnusson
- Narrator Katherine Manners
- Publisher John Murray Press
- Run Time 9 hours and 51 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Folklore, myths and legends, Historical fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- €9.95
- €8.95
- €7.95
- €6.95
- €5.95
Listen to a sample
What to expect
'A REALLY, REALLY GOOD READ' BBC R2 Book Club' | 'LYRICAL' Stylist | 'POETIC' Daily Mail
1627. In a notorious historical event, pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 people into slavery in Algiers. Among them a pastor, his wife, and their children.
In her acclaimed debut novel Sally Magnusson imagines what history does not record: the experience of Asta, the pastor's wife, as she faces her losses with the one thing left to her - the stories from home - and forges an ambiguous bond with the man who bought her. Uplifting, moving, and sharply witty, The Sealwoman's Gift speaks across centuries and oceans about loss, love, resilience and redemption.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN | THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD | THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE | THE PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE | THE WAVERTON GOOD READ AWARD | A ZOE BALL ITV BOOK CLUB PICK
'Sally Magnusson has taken an amazing true event and created a brilliant first novel. It's an epic journey in every sense: although it's historical, it's incredibly relevant to our world today. We had to pick it' Zoe Ball Book Club
'Richly imagined and energetically told' Sunday Times
'The best sort of historical novel' Scotsman
'Compelling stuff' Good Housekeeping
'An accomplished and intelligent novel' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, author of Why Did You Lie?
'Vivid and compelling' Adam Nichols, co-translator of The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson
*And Sally Magnusson's second novel, The Ninth Child, publishes March 2020 - available to pre-order now*
Critics Review
-
From the first, it leaps from the page… I found myself absolutely persuaded by Ásta’s extraordinary journey from the harsh Icelandic coast to the strange and splendid palaces of Algiers. I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure
Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT -
A remarkable feat of imagination that transports the reader to 17th-century Iceland and Algiers … an extraordinarily immersive read that emphasises the power of stories, examining themes of motherhood, identity, exile and freedom. Through her deft storytelling, Magnusson takes us on a journey that not only crosses continents, but encompasses tragedy and rich sensuality.
Guardian -
An evocative, striking new novel … which brings an Icelandic historical tragedy, and in particular, Icelandic woman Asta Egilsson, back to pulsing life.
Times -
Moving, accomplished … Richly imagined and energetically told, The Sealwoman’s Gift is a powerful tale of loss and endurance
Sunday Times -
Magnusson has certainly done her research, and she has found in the silences of the historical record the space for a novel that moves gracefully between what is known and what must be imagined…Much of the pleasure of reading The Sealwoman’s Gift is that of a good yarn well told.
TLS -
Fascinating … a really, really good read
BBC Radio 2 Book Club
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