The Glass Woman
Summary (from the publisher): Rósa has always dreamed of living a simple life alongside her Mamma in their remote village in Iceland, where she prays to the Christian God aloud during the day, whispering enchantments to the old gods alone at night. But after her father dies abruptly and her Mamma becomes ill, Rósa marries herself off to a visiting trader in exchange for a dowry, despite rumors of mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death.
Rósa follows her new husband, Jón, across the treacherous countryside to his remote home near the sea. There Jón works the field during the day, expecting Rósa to maintain their house in his absence with the deference of a good Christian wife. What Rósa did not anticipate was the fierce loneliness she would feel in her new home, where Jón forbids her from interacting with the locals in the nearby settlement and barely speaks to her himself.
Seclusion from the outside world isn’t the only troubling aspect of her new life—Rósa is also forbidden from going into Jón’s. When Rósa begins to hear strange noises from upstairs, she turns to the local woman in an attempt to find solace. But the villager’s words are even more troubling—confirming many of the rumors about Jón’s first wife, Anna, including that he buried her body alone in the middle of the night.
Rósa’s isolation begins to play tricks on her mind: What—or who—is in the attic? What happened to Anna? Was she mad, a witch, or just a victim of Jón’s ruthless nature? And when Jón is brutally maimed in an accident a series of events are set in motion that will force Rósa to choose between obedience and defiance—with her own survival and the safety of the ones she loves hanging in the balance.
Rósa follows her new husband, Jón, across the treacherous countryside to his remote home near the sea. There Jón works the field during the day, expecting Rósa to maintain their house in his absence with the deference of a good Christian wife. What Rósa did not anticipate was the fierce loneliness she would feel in her new home, where Jón forbids her from interacting with the locals in the nearby settlement and barely speaks to her himself.
Seclusion from the outside world isn’t the only troubling aspect of her new life—Rósa is also forbidden from going into Jón’s. When Rósa begins to hear strange noises from upstairs, she turns to the local woman in an attempt to find solace. But the villager’s words are even more troubling—confirming many of the rumors about Jón’s first wife, Anna, including that he buried her body alone in the middle of the night.
Rósa’s isolation begins to play tricks on her mind: What—or who—is in the attic? What happened to Anna? Was she mad, a witch, or just a victim of Jón’s ruthless nature? And when Jón is brutally maimed in an accident a series of events are set in motion that will force Rósa to choose between obedience and defiance—with her own survival and the safety of the ones she loves hanging in the balance.
Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this novel from HarperCollins.
Set in Iceland in 1686, this haunting tale follows young Rosa, who is forced to marry a visiting trader after her father dies in order to provide for her ailing mother. Her new husband, Jon, is surrounded by suspicion and gossip following the mysterious death of his first wife and upon arriving in her new village, Rosa finds herself totally isolated, as her new husband forbids her from interacting with any of the locals. Alone for days at a time, Rosa begins to believe that there is something or someone living in the locked loft of her home and begins to question what really happened to Jon's first wife.
This book was haunting, eerie, atmospheric, and brought seventeenth century Iceland to life. The land truly becomes a character in this book as it howls around the characters, claiming bodies in its icy grasp. Outside is a raging blizzard and inside is also no refuge for Rosa as is tortured by ghostly sounds overhead and begins to think she is losing her mind. Terrified by her husband, her new home, and the rumors swirling around, the suspense builds as the reader follows Rosa's narrative. This novel had many parallels to the classic mystery Rebecca, with a house haunted by the first wife.
From the opening image of a body emerging from the ice, this novel reeled me in. Beautifully set up, the suspense continues to build as the reader follows Rosa's story. Yet as the truth emerged, it didn't quite add up to me as a believable explanation. Further, in the latter half, Rosa's story is increasingly punctuated by chapters from Jon's perspective, which helped fuel the story along but I did not find as personally compelling. Overall a haunting read that I was sad to finish.
Stars: 4
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