Olafsson, Olaf

Olafsson’s treatment of the vast cultural chasm between Icelander Kristófer, and Miko, shaped by the bombing of Hiroshima shortly before she was born, brings suspense and heartache to the reader.

Olafsson deftly braids present and past events as Sister Marie Joseph grapples with her recollections of Halla while ensnaring herself in the investigation. The sister’s first-person voice seems dry and dispassionate, but the novel confounds our expectations, sifting through memory, as it evolves into a low-simmering psychological thriller. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 6/10/19.]

With cool Nordic reserve, Olafsson explores such timeless themes as love, its loss and its lack; the failure to communicate; and finding strength in adversity. Will either Magnus or his self-absorbed mother attain the success they seek? There is enough drama and suspense in this thoughtful and intelligent novel to keep the reader intrigued to the end.

Olafsson masterfully portrays the interior lives of these women, creating a richly complex portrait of love and passion at work even as his harrowing depictions of daily life in war-torn Italy add additional depth and power to the novel. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of literary and historical fiction.