A subtle story about feminism and women’s attempt at sticking up for themselves within the confines of their societal roles!

The story switches between 1910 and 1970s Iceland describing the lives of several women, navigating life in the best way they can, trying to stand up and become individuals, instead of being bunched up with their gender description. All of this amongst the harsh yet beautiful and enchanting background of Iceland, where nature can punish you or be an ally.

Connecting the stories of Gudrun, Freyja and Sigga is a mystery that plays out cleverly whilst the reader is entertained by their everyday lives. Needless to say, the reader is left aimlessly trying to solve the mystery, and the connection between these two timelines.
When finally everything is explained it’s like an epiphany! And the twists in the book are very surprising!

Although I couldn’t engage with the book from the start, given the difficulty understanding the links between the different decades, once I kept going, I found it hard to stop.

This is a fascinating historical fiction with a very intriguing mystery, with an ending that is sure to surprise!

Thanks to the author, Manilla Press and NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

This makes compulsive reading. The dual timeline had me foxed at first but I became more intrigued as the story progressed. An exploration of womens hopes and desires contrasted by the constraints the male dominated society imposes upon them.

Headlines:
Historical patriarchy
Icy mysteriousness
Sisters(hood)

The Swell was a sweeping read that captured my imagination totally as a frequent visitor to Iceland over the years. The description of a historical Iceland was somewhat barren in terms of finances for Freyja and Gudrun but rich in love and connection. However, the patriarchal society of a small village/town was disempowering for women but Gudrun especially was a headstrong women.

The story was told on two timelines, 1910 and 1975 with a body found in the ice linking the two. I felt most connected to the timeline in 1910 but Sigga's story (1975) and that of her Amma's drew me in more and more. I puzzled with a few different theories about the body and the reality of it was cleverly completed. The mystery of this story was elusive and wrapped in cold, rugged feelings.

The men in this story had balance. There were some awful men (I'm looking at that priest and an other) and some good men like Sigga's father and Tomas. These differing types of men helped bring the feminist slant to this tale and that element was well written especially.

The afterword to this story was interesting and I felt a real nod to the author at the mention of Nan Shepherd's work. Gordon's description of the land, lava fields and weather was good.

Thank you to Manilla Press for the review copy. I would highly recommend this for an unputdownable read.

This is a story told in two time frames in Iceland . The first is in 1911 ,where we meet two sisters Freya and Gudrun who rescue Thomas from a storm . The second story is set in 1974 , where we meet Stigga and her grandmother. Throughout there are parallels between the two stories. The landscape is described beautifully, you can imagine the sparseness and cold. It’s a story that is full of folklore and stories . One of the main themes in both timeframes is the role of women and motherhood . The women are strong and know what they want . As well as the landscape and the normal family life there is a body that has been found and both timelines are connected . It was an interesting atmospheric read and for me the early timeframe was the best . I loved reading about Freya and Gudrun and the tight bond they had throughout.

DNF at 45%. It had a strong start, but it very quickly just became dull. There was a lot of intrigue built around things that were already pretty obvious to the reader, and I really wasn't enjoying it so I decided not to push myself through to the end.

This a really good read. I enjoyed the two narrations between both past and present as they drew the story together nicely highlighting parallels between time periods and the sagas. The story has some excellent and strong female characters that are portrayed in such a positive way but whilst at the same time showing how difficult it can be to be a woman. The family relationships are also written really well. I absolutely love Iceland and the atmosphere of the island so it was the perfect backdrop for this story.

Historical fiction, dual timelines, incredibly complex female family bonds, men are the worst, set in Iceland! If a kidnapper held up this sign, I’d be napped.

But this really did have so many elements that I just adore! The relationships between all the different characters were so well thought out. Especially looking at Sigga’s relationship with her grandmother and comparing it with her mother. Freyja and Gudrun’s bond and the relationship they had with their father.

The atmosphere and the setting and oh just everything. 65 years really isn’t that long in the grand scheme of history, but the stark difference in life between the two time periods was so interesting to read!

Obviously we know from the blurb that a body is found in the 1975 timeline and this made for a bit of a mystery through both timelines, desperately wanting to know who it is but also praying it’s not who it probably is. And on top of that, who is Sigga and how does she tie in with Freyja and Gudrun. I was genuinely hooked, sweating and stressing at some points! But the ending / reveal had me in pieces. I’m still heartbroken!!

If you’re like me and love multiple timeline historical fiction, get ready to devour this!

The Swell
Kat Gordon
UK release date 27th Feb 2025

Iceland. 1910. In the middle of a severe storm, two sisters, Freya and Gudrun, rescue a mysterious, charismatic man from a shipwreck near a remote farm. Sixty five years later, a young woman, Sigga, is spending time with her grandmother when they learn a body has been discovered on a mountain side near Reykjavik, perfectly preserved in ice. Moving between the turn of the 20th century and the 1970's as a dark mystery is unravelled.

Set over two time periods this enjoyable, sometimes dark little read blends modern contemporary women's issues with the traditional re-relling of Icelandic sagas. A novel where women take complete centre stage battling both the elements and the restrictions placed on them by society with chapters in the 1970s referencing the women's rights movement.

Told amidst a backdrop of Icelandic folklore, scenery, food and society this is a tense, atmospheric story full of vivid detail - gripping - evocative, tragic but also uplifting i did find it easy to read but compelling and fascinating. With themes of feminism, motherhood, folk lore and the patriarchy this is a perfect book for those of you who enjoy a tale of strong women and of fiction mixed with fact. Highly enjoyable....🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you to NetGalley UK for the advanced copy ....

The Swell is an enjoyable read that blends the traditional storytelling of Icelandic sagas with contemporary women’s issues and concerns. Set over two time periods, 1910-11 and 1975, we accompany strong female characters battling both the elements and the patriarchy.

Kat Gordon merges reality with a hint of the supernatural to create an engaging storyline. I very much enjoyed the nature writing and descriptions of the weather. Not only did this conjure a strong mental image for me, but also a sense of otherworldly unease - evoked by the strange Icelandic landscape.

I found the 1910-11 sections the most engaging as I enjoyed the headstrong and independent character of Gudrun. Gordon kept up the sense of mystery throughout and I was kept guessing at how the characters in each timeline might be linked.

If you’re a fan of moody landscapes, strong female characters and discussion of feminism and motherhood, this is the book for you.

This is a dual timeline story, alternating between 1910-11 and 1975, incorporating mystery, love and plenty of strong women set in the not often written about landscape of Iceland.

At first, I struggled to get into this novel. It is well written and I enjoyed the chapters from the start but I couldn’t make the connection between the two timelines and I was frustrated not knowing who in the later years was connected to the people in the earlier stories. However, I decided to persevere and I’m so glad I did, as it all started to come together and make sense from about half way through.

In the book, Freya and Gudrun, rescue Danish Tomas, the only survivor from his ship caught in a storm. Tomas soon becomes part of the family, helping with work on their farm and is good company. However, he then disappears without a trace, most unlike him. Decades later, a preserved body is found on the mountainside near Reykjavik - could it be Tomas or is it someone else?

This is a rich, atmospheric read. I felt the unforgiving landscape, saw it in my mind’s eye, I could smell the local food and I enjoyed learning about Icelandic myths as I turned the pages. Women take centre stage in The Swell: strong women who know their minds but who also are capable of deep feelings and connections. The chapters set in the 1970s also include references to the women’s rights movements of the time.

All in all a really great read with many aspects and I am so pleased I didn’t give up at the start. If you fancy something a bit different then I highly recommend this one.

A very interesting and thought-provoking read. I was definitely more invested in the 1910 storyline than the one set in the 70s, but they both had a lot to say about different facets of feminism and what it means to be strong in different circumstances. It was very well written, full of evocative detail, and the setting of the 1910 story in particular felt like a character in its own right. Reading the author's note afterwards, I feel like I would probably have got more out of the book if I had been familiar with the Icelandic saga that inspired it.

I read "The Swell" by Kat Gordon pretty much in one sitting. I loved the Icelandic myth and old stories part and how the folklore mirrored the two timelines of 1910 and 1975. It took almost until the end to work out how both timelines were linked and although that is part of the story, I don't think it is 100% intrinsic. I much preferred the beginning of the story which was really strong and found the end a little weak. Definitely one to read in winter months.

I loved this book set across two time periods in Iceland. I confess I studied Old Icelandic years ago but didn’t really learn much though retain a grudging respect for the sagas. This novel has echoes of one of the sagas woven through.

The story is about a young woman who comes to realise that not all is as she had previously thought while we the readers discover what really happened 60 years before to her grandmother. It’s a lovely story and i throughly enjoyed it. The family is central to this lovely story. The struggle of Icelandic women for equality is featured along with the difficulties of being a woman in what was a male dominated society.

It’s a great read and one to add to my long list of Ice and Snow books I’ve loved

Thanks to NetGalley, Manila Press, and Bonnie Books UK for this copy of "The Swell."

I want to preface that I read this book while we were buried in one foot of snow, so it was perfect to set the mood of this dual timeline story set in Iceland.

In 1910 Gudrum, her sister Freya, and their father Papi rescue Tomas from a sinking whaling ship.

In 1975, we meet Sigridur "Sigga" and her grandmother Amma who left home and raised her son (Sigga's father) as a single parent, never talking about his father.

The suspense builds as we know the timelines will converge and that Grandmother Amma is one of the two sisters, but which one?

And what does she know about the recently discovered body, estimated to have been there 50 years, found in an ice cave near her former home?

I could not put this book down! I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was such a fantastically written book, set in Iceland that connects two timelines about 65 years apart.

In the earlier time period we follow two sisters who live in rural Iceland in the shadow of a mountain and whose lives are changed when a shipwrecked Danish sailor comes to live with them. The later timeline in the 1970s follows a young woman who is at a crossroads in her life and having to deal with how the expectations of others aren’t aligning with her own true desires and wants for her life.

This book explores female treatment by men, what it is to challenge society’s expectations, the changing role of women in society, attitudes towards motherhood. We see the historical parallel of this between the two timelines, and how although the choices available may be different, many of the thoughts and emotions are similar.

The writing struck a good balance of beautiful setting and intrigue. I particularly liked the way Icelandic sagas were woven through the story and how this was referenced by the women in both timelines, drawing parallels with their own lives.

I found this to be a well-written, engaging novel with underlying messages balanced skilfully with plot progression, a clear love for the setting and fascinating characters.

From the cover art work to the description of the book I felt drawn to this novel. Kat did not disappoint. The setting of the story was perfection, I absorbed the folklore, the Icelandic scenery and way of life, and those girls. The sister storyline set in the past was my favourite and rich in the storytelling, the character building and the suspense of the character identities in the present day storyline. Very beautifully told and a treasure of a tale, with a very rewarding end result.

Rich in Icelandic culture and myth, The Swell delves into themes of survival, fate, and the power of women in the face of overwhelming odds. The slow unraveling of the mystery keeps you hooked, while the evocative prose captures both the stark beauty and the dangers of the land. This is a story about women rising in the face of adversity, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried beneath the surface. I couldn’t put it down.

A lovely well written tale based on folklore. This is a duel timeline novel in which I did prefer the older story to the newer one
The writing is very beautiful and the characters are well rounded while the pages are nicely descriptive of place and time
I would have preferred the pacing to be a little better but overall a good read

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

An enjoyable read.
Set over two timelines, I much preferred the earlier one, though both had very good headstrong women, not willing to bow down as expected for the females of their time.
The timelines worked well against each other, and it slotted into place nicely as the tale unfolded.
I also enjoyed the old stories incorporated into this.