In the days leading up to Christmas, Dómhildur delivers her 1,922nd baby. Beginnings and endings are her family trade; she comes from a long line of midwives on her mother’s side and a long line of undertakers on her father’s. She even lives in the apartment that she inherited from her grandaunt, a midwife with a unique reputation for her unconventional methods.

As a terrible storm races towards Reykjavik, Dómhildur discovers decades worth of letters and manuscripts hidden amongst her grandaunt’s clutter. Fielding calls from her anxious meteorologist sister and visits from her curious new neighbor, Dómhildur escapes into her grandaunt’s archive and discovers strange and beautiful reflections on birth, death and human nature.

With her singular warmth and humor, in Animal Life Ólafsdóttir gives us a beguiling novel that comes direct from the depths of an Icelandic winter, full of hope for spring.

Praise for Animal Life:

“A gorgeous, spiraling slow burn of a book… To read this book is to immerse oneself in the natural world of Iceland. Vivid descriptions of weather and landscape, animals and plants, star-filled night skies and slivers of sunrises fill the pages and are never boring… A necessary book for our time.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Every novel by Audur Ava Olafsdottir is a multifaceted gem, with a sparkle concealing dark hues and sharp edges… [Animal Life is] a tranquil yet compelling meditation on life and death, darkness and light, from a reliably thought-provoking novelist.”—The Economist

“A subtle and stunning work for anyone who has felt the impact of an ancestor, who has lost themselves to a past that feels like their own.”—Ploughshares

“A rich slice of life.”—Publishers Weekly

“At times poetic and philosophical, Animal Life is a uniquely crafted novel that concerns itself with light and darkness, purpose and coincidence, fear and hope.”—Booklist

Praise for Miss Iceland:

Winner of the Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize

“[A] quietly mesmerizing, unsettling tale about attempting to rise from the chasms of difficult circumstances by harnessing the power of friendship and creative drive.”—NPR

“[Ólafsdóttir] does a brilliant job of conveying, sentence by sentence and word by word, the exotic nature of Icelandic life, its harshness, its connection to the land and to history, and its amusing qualities.”—Washington Post

“This quietly moving tale of friendship and artistic fulfillment will appeal to readers of Elena Ferrante and Margaret Atwood, and the unusual setting offers an interesting twist on the portrait of an artist as a young woman.”—Bookpage

“As elegantly cold and foreboding as the Icelandic landscape itself, Olafsdottir’s languid and melancholy portrait of a writer with a singular passion demonstrates the sacrifices women have always made for their art.”—Booklist

“A beautiful book. It is at once a poetic, light-hearted narrative filled with endearing characters; and yet also a sharply edged social critique that is caustic and righteous in its portrayal of the enduring nature of sexism, misogyny and homophobia. Above all, it leaves the reader feeling buoyed and optimistic, despite the serious and oppressive nature of its subject matter. It’s a powerful portrayal of a woman’s struggle for freedom in the 1960s, but its true lesson is for the present, as a gorgeously crafted reminder of the tenacious nature of discrimination and hate, and the determination and commitment that is often required to overcome it.”—Popmatters

“In her sixth novel, award-winning author Ólafsdóttir paints a vivid portrait of Iceland: cold weather, volcanic eruptions, northern lights, whale hunting, darkness, sexism, and homophobia. . . . In this excellent introduction to her work, Ólafsdóttir creates a world where either escape or hiding one’s true nature are the only choices.”—Library Journal

“Ólafsdóttir’s graceful and quiet tale of feminism, alienation, and artistic expression centers around Hekla, a young Icelandic woman who wants to become a writer in a male-dominated literary world… Ólafsdóttir tenderly explores how these authentic characters help each other overcome their fears and doubts. This winning tale of friendship and self-fulfillment will inspire readers.”—Publishers Weekly (starred, boxed review)

“Helka, trying to make it in the big city, a woman in 1960’s Reykjavik weighed down by expectation and constraint.  I so wanted Helka to get away and be free, to slap the hands that felt her up and to ditch the boyfriend. Only a great book can make you feel you’re really there, a thousand miles and a generation away. I loved it.”—Kit de Waal

“A potent, atmospheric story of creative frustration and fulfilment. I loved the wry, tender voice of Ólafsdóttir’s narrator. I’m now going to read all of her other novels.”—Megan Hunter