Freyja
On behalf of: Spiegel & Grau
The unsolved case of a young girl’s disappearance reopens after twenty years in this moody, atmospheric debut of suspense set in Reykjavík and the Icelandic coast.
Unnur has secrets. A single mother to a beloved daughter, Lilja, she lives a deliberately quiet life in Reykjavík, working at a bakery under an assumed last name and pushing away haunting visions of the last summer of her childhood. Her safety—and Lilja’s—now hinges on discretion. But when her ex-husband returns to Iceland and brings with him a new girlfriend, who seems to know more about Unnur than she’s letting on, Unnur may finally have to face what happened long ago on a black sand beach in the remote Dark Valley—and the possibility that she herself might be responsible for her otherworldly friend Freyja’s disappearance.
As a cold case investigation is launched and the intricate threads of past and present begin to entangle, Unnur must race to recover the broken memory of what happened all those years ago, or risk losing her own daughter. Steeped in stories from Icelandic folklore and myth, Freyja is at once a gripping story of a child’s disappearance, a testament to the power of a mother’s love, and an enthralling tale of redemption and forgiveness from a gifted new voice.
For readers of Liz Moore, Celeste Ng, Amity Gaige, and Satu Rämö.
Reviews
“An eerie novel that will keep you up late into the night. Unnur is desperate to escape the past and protect her young daughter, but she will learn that memory is fickle and changelings lurk in the shadows. Margrét Ann Thors beautifully evokes Iceland, with its cold winds, wave-battered cliffs, and mysterious folk tales. Gripping and heartfelt.”—Eowyn Ivey, New York Times bestselling author of The Snow Child and Black Woods, Blue Sky
“Mythic and atmospheric, Freyja tingles the senses like an incipient freeze. I love an icy noir that builds complicated relationships and unique settings, and Freyja fits the bill perfectly. A twisty, compelling read.”—Janelle Brown, nationally bestselling author of What Kind of Paradise
“Freyja is such an elegant and confident debut. Margrét Ann Thors depicts a mother’s love as both fierce and fearsome, making the story feel mythic and grounded at once. An Icelandic tale, a haunting mystery, and a paean to the messy bonds of family.”—Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women
“A haunting, hypnotic novel that circles the slippery nature of memory and the fierce, disorienting terrain of motherhood. For readers of The School for Good Mothers and The Push, Freyja unfolds in a world where the past refuses burial and the land itself feels alive with old, watchful secrets. Margrét Ann Thors writes with a sharp, unflinching clarity about guilt, love, and the devastating cost of what we cannot remember. I couldn’t look away.”—Chelsea Bieker, bestselling author of Madwoman and Godshot
“A spectacularly eerie crime novel that draws on the mysteries of Icelandic folklore to deepen the uncertainties at its heart, Freyja had me turning pages late into the night!”—Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites
“A dark, glittering jewel of a debut. Steeped in lyricism and Icelandic folktales, Margrét Ann Thors has written a tightly wound, gripping novel about the intricate ways memories and myths entwine. Freyja is a singular novel about motherhood, grief, and the search for home not only in a place, but in the ones we love.”—Crystal Hana Kim, author of The Stone Home
“A spectacular novel that deftly defies genre, Freyja is a gripping mystery and a literary tour de force. Margrét Ann Thors masterfully chronicles a mother’s love for her child, memories impossible to repress, and the torment of guilt. Set in a backdrop rich with folklore, it’s a page-turner, but try to resist turning the pages too quickly, lest you miss the grace of the prose and profound psychological insights. Original, stunning, and unforgettable.”—Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of Counting Backwards