Seven of us met to discuss The Sealwoman’s Gift. The story is based on a true story of an Algierian raid on Iceland to take people captive to sell as slaves.
Asta’s story is fictional and we suspected a rather rosy version of what probably happened to the captives. She is lucky enough to be bought by Celliby, a rich man, to be a servant to his wives and concubine. Her husband is sent to Denmark to negotiate a ransom for the captives’ return. He is rebuffed and returns to Iceland to raise funds to pay the ransom. In the intervening years Asta builds a Scheherazade like relationship with her master telling him the stories of the Icelandic sagas so she can remain faithful to her faith and her husband. Celliby is frustrated and fascinated by Asta, he has never encountered, or been challenged by a woman before.
After several years she comes to believe that her husband must be dead and that the ransom will never be paid. Just as she is about to accept the opportunities being offered her circumstances force her to choose between doing the right thing or being happy.
Our views varied from the book being the best thing they’d read at the book club through to being less enjoyable and wondering what all the hype around the book was about, The discussion bought out some interesting points that made some of us mark it higher that we would have done before the meeting. Overall we gave it 8 out of 10.