THE SORROW STONE

Kari Gislason

An interesting modern retelling of an Icelandic saga set in medieval Norway and Iceland.  C. 1,000.

A woman tells of her family’s flight from Norway. 

20 days of rowing to Iceland where she rebuilt her life, married and started afresh with a son Sindri.  These were farming communities with strong relationships whereby brothers were enabled by custom to kill. Legitimate honour killings really which were to be reported to authorities and if this was not done the death was considered murder. 

POWER AND THRONES

DAN JONES  

A new history of the Middle Ages.  What do we expect from this history!

We like to know who did what, where and when.

These years are described as dark ages but Jones refutes this notion and delivers a profile of power, plagues and intellectual progress.  A good read.