The Journey Home — Olaf Olafsson

For years Disa Jonsdottir has lived in the English countryside, managing an inn with her companion, Anthony. Compelled by the demands of time to revisit the village of her childhood, she departs England for her native Iceland. Along the way memories surface--of the silence that grew to mark her relationship with her mother, of the disturbing fate of her German-Jewish lover, of the deeply conflicted feelings surrounding the pivotal encounter she had while working as a cook in a wealthy household. Skillfully weaving past and present, Olafsson captures the full range of Disa's experiences, from the solemn and meditative to the wondrous and resplendent, ultimately building toward an emotional climax that renders The Journey Home moving, suspenseful, and unforgettable.