by Heather Goodwin Lytwyn
On February 1st, the Icelandic Roots Book Club will feature the author Margaret Willson
and talk to her about her book Woman, Captain, Rebel: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain.
If you just read one book this year, I hope it is this one. I should warn you though, that you should not start reading this unless you have some time at your disposal. Each sentence is so absorbing, you will be surprised to look up and realize you have been reading for 2 hours that just flew by. What is even more remarkable is when you turn to page 334 and realize the extent of Margaret’s research—making the events come alive even though this true story began in the later part of the 18th century. Margaret credits the record-keeping in Iceland with allowing her to have phenomenal resources, but it is her gifted writing that allows her to tell the story in such an engaging way.
The heroine is based on the life of Thurídur, born in Iceland in 1777 and whose fishing life began when she was only eleven years old. Her passion for the open sea led her to become an unforgettable fishing captain who had an amazing gift of being able to predict the weather. Her fishing crews were always enthusiastic to have her as their captain because they could guarantee their catch would always rival other fishing vessels. Their preference to have her as their leader must have also been due to the fact that in her entire career, she never lost a single crewmember in spite of the regular drowning on the Arctic Seas.
Margaret Willson achieved her Ph.D. in Anthropology at the London School of Economics and is currently an Affiliate Associate Professor in Seattle at the University of Washington. Her inspiration for Woman, Captain, Rebel was sparked on a trip to Iceland which changed her life. Join The Icelandic Roots Book Club on February 1st for a conversation with this personable speaker and remarkable author.
Find the book at Amazon or look for it at your favorite bookseller.
The Book Club meets on February 1st, 2024, at:
· 5:00 PM Pacific
· 6:00 PM Mountain
· 7:00 PM Central
· 8:00 PM Eastern
· 12:00 AM in Iceland (February 2nd, 2024)
Members will receive a link via email the day before Book Club