By Heather Goodman Lytwyn
The Icelandic Roots Book Club for Thursday, November 7, 2024, will feature Guđríđur’s Saga, Mundi: Boy of Iceland’s West Fjords, and Thor with author Bryndís Víglundsdóttir, illustrator Gay Strandemo, and publisher Tracy Will. Our Zoom meeting will be at the earlier time of 12 pm CST.
Bryndís, a writer, translator, and retired educator has extensive teaching experience in both Iceland and the United States. She made an impact on the development of curriculum and training for teachers of children with disabilities.
For twelve years Gay wrote, produced, and directed plays for children based on international folk tales. She is a retired public librarian who scheduled and wrote grants for adult programming. Gay’s research into Icelandic customs led her to write and illustrate a picture book The Yule Boys. This book is based on the sons of the female troll Grýla.
Bryndís' and Gay’s first collaboration was Guđríđur’s Saga, published in 2022, which tells the story of a girl who was raised in the western part of Iceland in the late 10th century. Guđriđur emigrated to Greenland where her family lived in the area founded by Eric the Red. There she met her husband, and together they sailed west to find Vinland. They landed in what is now Newfoundland and lived there for three years before retuning to Iceland. The dedication in this book is: “For all children who asked questions.” On the back cover, the former Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, wrote:
“This story demonstrates the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance. We are not all the same and we shouldn’t all be the same. But we can make the effort to understand one another. The story further illuminates Guđriđur as a mother and grandmother and depicts her adventurous life which has been an inspiration to many generations of Icelandic women and girls.”
Their second book, Mundi: Boy of Iceland’s West Fjords tells the story of a boy who grew up in Iceland’s wild northwestern region in the 1930’s and 1940’s. His family farm lies where the frigid Arctic meets Iceland’s rugged mountains and fjords. Mundi was always enthusiastic and appreciative of all that nature provided to enrich his life; he is an excellent role model for the young and old.
Their most recent publication, Thor, depicts the life of the son of the Norse god Óđinn and Maiden Earth. Like Mundi, as a child Thor reveres all the wonders of the world and vows to protect it. As the story unfolds, he is faced with his destiny of defending Mother Earth and the mortal world against evil. Although Hollywood movies may have made the name Thor familiar to modern audiences, Bryndís relied on the stories she was taught as a child in creating this book, and like Gay, readers may find an element of humour as Thor’s life unfolds.
Please join us November 7th for the Icelandic Roots Book Club when you will have an opportunity to meet Bryndís & Gay and learn about how these stories evolved in their collaboration with Tracy. The link will be sent to Icelandic Roots Members via e-mail the day prior, on November 6th.