'The Fires'

Another book which might be of interest to those visiting Iceland has been added to my ever-growing Icelandic library. I may need a separate bookcase shortly. I now have three shelves out of four full.

It's by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir.

It's called 'The Fires'.

It has been receiving some varied reviews on sites such as Goodreads.

It's a work of fiction, but interestingly it was published just before the eruptions started.

Also in mid-February there was a swarm of earthquakes just off the end of the peninsula - where the eruption starts in the book.

There are some patchy elements to the book. It's always difficult with a translated book to get a real sense of the original though. Plenty of 'exposition' which includes details of eruptions and the landscape. These factual elements work well.