"Teacher wanted at the end of the world." It's exactly the kind of thing Una needs!
It’s 1985 and Una can barely make ends meet as a teacher. But the posting for a position in Skálar is perfect! Not only does it come with room and board included, the remote location means there’s nothing else to spend money on either. Una may finally be able to save enough for a deposit on a place of her own.
Plus, the location means getting away from things Una has been trying to escape in her personal life.
Unfortunately, Una doesn’t realize exactly what she’s in for until she arrives. She’s only got two students. In fact, the town is all but abandoned, with just ten residents total. And they aren’t exactly warm to outsiders.
Una can deal with most of it. But the nightmares and the strange sounds she hears at night are too much for her to ignore. And when a villager dies suddenly, Una realizes that she can’t ignore what’s happening around her any longer.
Ragnar Jónasson’s latest is a stand alone that combines a mystery inspired by the very real one with a ghost story set in one of the most remote areas of Iceland. It makes for a truly compelling and eerie read that I enjoyed immensely!
In 1974, two men disappeared in Iceland. Not only were they never found, questions still remain today regarding the two cases. There’s an entire documentary about the cases on Netflix right now. Of course the book is only inspired by those events. The setting for the story, the remote village of Skálar, was completely abandoned by 1985 and, as far as anyone knows, has no ties to the case at all. But it does make for a great premise and a perfect setting!
Una is desperate to escape her past. And Skálar might jus offer that. But the remote location plays havoc on her mental health, especially considering her access to alcohol. And the locals notice. Which is why, when she considers asking about the girl she sees in her dreams and the song she hears in her little apartment, she’s tries to hide her fears.
And yet, the haunting melody and the little girl are too much to ignore. Especially after the town is struck by tragedy.
Una isn’t treated badly, per se. But she is discouraged from asking too many questions about the townspeople and their past. It’s an insular community that keeps their secrets close and definitely doesn’t welcome nosy outsiders. Which is how Una is soon perceived.
I really loved this latest from Jónasson. Una is carrying some really heavy weight when she arrives in town. It’s something that’s revealed as the story progresses. So really this is the kind of story that unfolds in a lot of different layers: Una’s story, the truth behind the “ghost,” the mysterious death that occurs, and how it all ties into the missing men (which comes out in part through an unnamed narrator). It makes for a somewhat slower pacing, but not a true slow burn. In fact, while there’s a lot of development, I was drawn in quite easily and found it to be a rather quick read simply because I was so sucked in! No doubt this is because of the perfect union of Jónasson’s writing and Victoria Cribb’s seamless translation!
The Girl Who Died is out now in paperback.
Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!
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