A review by kimb2
Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

“We kept each other’s secrets.  We were equals”

The difficulties people faced in defying society norms and mores of the 1960’s are highlighted in this story set in Iceland.  I chose this book based on a desire to read more books set outside of the U.S and the U.K.  

Hekla,named after a volcano, dreams of becoming a writer while Jon is gay and dreams of being able to love who he wants and yearns to work in the theatre.  Together they forge a relationship where they can confide in each other.

Set against the backdrop of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech and the Kennedy assassination, the two main characters realize the harsh realities of the world they live in.  Women belong in beauty pageants rather than the arts and men belong on fishing boats rather than the arts.

While the premise of this story is certainly interesting, I’m not sure about the ending.  I’m still gathering my thoughts.