On the Cold Coasts

by Vilborg Davíðsdóttir

When a fleet of one hundred English ships is caught in a horrible storm off the cold coasts of fifteenth-century Iceland, twenty-five ships are lost. For Ragna, the daughter of a respected family and betrothed to Thorkell, her relationship with one of the seamen washed ashore results in pregnancy. Now barren due to a traumatic childbirth and stigmatized as a fallen woman, she is left with no prospects for marriage when the betrothal is ultimately canceled.

A decade later, Ragna becomes a housekeeper to the new English bishop in North Iceland, where passionate and ambitious Thorkell is a priest and steward. They embark on a fervent but doomed love affair as priests cannot marry and Ragna will not be a concubine. Little does Ragna know but her host, the bishop, is instigating the conflict between the English and Nordic settlers to his own gain, with a devastating impact on his housekeeper. As sweeping as it is intimate, On the Cold Coasts is a powerful, enduring story of love and personal sacrifice.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, 15th Century, Historical, Romance, 21st Century

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Vilborg Davidsdottir was born in 1965 in Thingeyri, a village in the remote Westfjord Peninsula of Iceland. Her background is in journalism and ethnology (folkloristics). In her MA thesis in ethnology, she wrote about the storytelling tradition in the Shetland Isles, UK. Vilborg worked in various media from 1985 to 2000. Since then, she has dedicated herself to writing.

Her tenth and latest book, Under Yggdrasil (2020), is a gripping novel inspired by the Icelandic Sagas, set in the early Viking Age, as was her acclaimed trilogy of novels on Aud the Deep-Minded, the first of which was nominated for the Icelandic Prize for Literature. Vilborg’s historical novels have been tremendously popular over the last decades, especially as they throw a new and unexpected light on the lives of women in the Viking Age. For further information on Under Yggdrasil, see http://www.davidsdottir.is/new-under-...

Her first novel, Við Urðarbrunn, (By Urd’s Well) was published in 1993 and a sequel, Nornadómur (Norns’ Judgement) in 1994. These tell the story of a young slave woman in 9th century Iceland, the daughter of a Norwegian chieftain settler and his Irish slave, and her pursuit for freedom. The story is set in Iceland, Scandinavia and the Scottish Isles.
Við Urðarbrunn was awarded by the Icelandic section of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) in 1994, and a year later, the sequel, Nornadómur, received the Reykjavík School Council Award. In 2001 the books were published in a single volume titled Korku saga. Both novels have enjoyed great popularity in all age groups and have been widely read in secondary schools, ever since the first publication.

Vilborg's third book, Eldfórnin (1997) is a historical novel set in the 14th century, and takes place in the nunnery at Kirkjubaer in South Iceland. The events of Vilborg's fourth novel, Galdur (2000) are also based on historical events, this time in the 15th century, in Skagafjord in North Iceland, when Englishmen dominated the trade and were highly influental in Iceland.

Sources describing the lives of the Inuit and the Norse inhabiting Greenland in the middle 15th century provide the background for Vilborg's fifth novel, Hrafninn (2005). The story touches on the mysterious disappearance of the settlements started in Greenland by Icelandic settlers around the year 1000. Hrafninn was nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. Film rights have been sold to an Icelandic film maker, Köggull ehf.

Auður (2009), Vilborg’s sixth novel, tells the story of the only Viking woman known to have led her own independent settlement expedition to Iceland. Aud the Deep-Minded was married to the first Viking king of Dublin in Ireland and set sail from the British Isles to Iceland where she settled in the west of the country, setting her slaves free. Auður was also nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. A sequel, Vígroði (Crimson Skies) was published in 2012 and the last book of this trilogy, Blóðug jörð, (Ocean Road), in 2017. The novels about Aud the Deep-Minded have been highly praised by readers and critics alike and the rights to produce TV series based on the trilogy have been sold to Deepminded3 AB in Sweden.

In autumn 2017 Vilborg put on a storytelling show about Aud, performed at the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes, Iceland. The event turned out to be quite popular, so much that it was run till spring 2019, with each of the 30 events sold out.

Vilborg’s memoir, Ástin, drekinn og dauðinn (On Love, Dragons and Dying) was published in 2015. Here, she tells the story of her husband’s journey with terminal brain cancer, “the Dragon”, and her first year as a widow following his death in 2013. This unique memoir has been highly acclaimed by readers and critics alike.

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book at the Iceland Writers Retreat and as I didn’t know the author, I looked up the reviews on Goodreads first. The reviews in general were not very complementary to the author, and I hesitated to read this book initially. But as I am still on an “Icelandic high” from my recent trip and due to my fascination with the land and its history, I dived into it. I’m glad I did.

Two comments made on Goodreads that I want to debunk are: (1) Nothing happens in this book, and (2) the ending was inconclusive.

First off, a lot of happens in this book. Each chapter covers a great narrative distance, with incident, action, and character evolution. By the end of chapter three, all the events mentioned in the dust jacket have taken place: Ragna has been impregnated by the maverick English sailor she nursed from the shipwreck, her impending marriage to Thorkell is anulled and she is consigned to being a fallen woman, he has become a priest, her bastard child has grown to the age of 10, she has recovered from her shaming to be hired as the housekeeper for the new English Bishop, and Fr. Thorkell is eyeing her again, this time to become his mistress - whoa! Nothing happens?

Ragna is a weak and fearful woman, molded by tradition, undecided by love. She will lay herself at the feet of Thorkell despite his shabby treatment of her, for fear of losing him, as she believes that in her state as an aging, fallen woman she is not likely to experience love from anyone else in her life again. Thorkell is fearless, misogynistic, amoral and yet a strong supporter of the local Icelanders over the English and Danish-Norwegian rulers who exploit the island at will. He uses the Church for his gain. The Catholic Church, in turn, is another exploiter of the people through tithes and taxes on the land it owns, and it navigates a stealthy allegiance with the secular political masters of Iceland. Internally, the clergy play wily political games with each other, jostling for advantage, with their loyalties split between the foreign colonial powers and the independence-hungry nationalists.

The author’s grasp of history is clear from the thrust of the narrative and the detailing of 15th century life that paints a vivid picture of Medieval Iceland, replete with customs, smells, food, political manoeuvring and battle scenes. And the moonscape-like land is portrayed in all its magic and mystique. She employs clever devices, such as overheard conversations by servants, to provide unusual plot movement. I found the dialogue a bit unrealistic and I wondered if this was a result of the translation. The characters seemed to speak in modern idiom at times, and expressions like “living daylights”, “alive and kicking”, “taken a dive” and “pissed itself,” jarred, rudely shunting me out of 15th century Iceland into modern day North America.

And as for the inconclusive ending: ill-fated lovers who do not end up spending their lives happily ever after is also an ending. Shakespeare did it, why not others? What was conclusive to me was the set of events that led the weak Ragna to finally develop the strength to see Thorkell for who he truly was and to rid herself of being his doormat, heading off to make a future for herself and her son in another country.

[Lesley Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 15th century Iceland this well-researched novel follows the story of Ragna who, as a young girl, becomes pregnant and has a child by a young shipwrecked English sailor who abandons her, before the child is born, to return home to Bristol. As the unmarried mother of an illegitimate son, whom she calls Michael after his father, her arranged betrothal to Thorkel son of a neighbouring family is abandoned. Thorkel takes holy orders, while Ragna is sent become housekeeper to the English Bishop Craxton who has his own agenda in fostering conflict between the local people and the English traders. Meanwhile, Thorkel has a romantic relationship with Ragna despite his vow of celibacy as a priest; a relationship that Ragna is willing enough to enter into. Will she be able to escape the ties of her relationship with Thorkel and her status as an unmarried mother?
This is a well-written and well-researched historical novel about a period of Icelandic history that I knew little about and the story is, to some extent, told in the context of some actual historical characters and events. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and should like to read other works by Vilborg Davidsdottir but, as far as I have been able to find out, this the only one of her books that has been translated into English. Mention must also be made of the translator, Alda Sigmundsdottir, for her excellent translation.

[Gretel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really surprised I liked this one as much as I did, considering its average rating is only 3.20 at the time of writing this review. The novel brings to life a time when people spoke 'Nordic' rather than Icelandic and traded with the English. The novel highlights these often not known to many international relations. Looking at the author's background, I can guess the book is very well researched.

The author writes with confidence about Iceland's old very religious and patriarchal governance. Times were tough for any woman back then, and the novel shows this. The women in the book have a lower social status than their male counterparts, and it is easy to feel sorry for the hardships they go through. Ragna goes through a lot of shit and is weak at times, but she does have some backbone and does try to help her fellow women and of course her son. The author also writes Ragna's son's naievity well, along with his friendship with an English trader.

The book isn't perfect; it ends far too abruptly and feels unfinished, but other than that, On the Cold Coasts is a decent piece of fiction in an interesting time and location in history.

[Eva Önnudóttir]

Vil bara nota þetta tækifæri til að segja AHHHHHHH hvað mig langar til að vera með í Öldu Karenar umræðunni en er í pásu frá öllum samfélagsmiðlum nema goodread út janúar.

[Voirrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this. It is a very realistic historical novel - girls get pregnant, they have to cope, life goes on.
Everyday life in 15th Century Iceland, and the intrigues between state and church, who you can, or cannot trade with, form a backdrop to a book which is centred around a female character who is strong in her own ways and with whom I had a great deal of both sympathy and empathy.

[Angus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel with the synopsis of a romantic epic, a great big doorstopping thing, with heart-wrenching struggles and a happy ending. Fortunately it isn’t, being only three hundred odd pages, and the writer knows rather too much about the time she writes of to produce one. The grit and grind of life are always there. In the grandeur of a religious service some of the emotionally affected congregation blow “their noses with their fingers and on the backs of their hands.” A person is never far away from their body fluids here, and they play a full part in the relationship Ragna has with the priest Thorkell.

The fifteenth century is sometimes known as Iceland’s “English Century” – English cod fishermen arrived in numbers, hardened men, sometimes veterans from wars with France. Icelandic society, peaceful and un-martial despite Viking origins, was ill-equipped to deal with aggressive strangers as they began to re-orient an economy to their own ends. “On the Cold Coasts” deals with power, and powerlessness, and what it feels like to be one of the powerless.

Ragna, the heroine, is already something of an outsider because of Greenlandic and possibly Inuit origins, and becomes more so when an English shipwreck survivor fathers a child on her, and bolts. Her boy, Michael, is even more an outsider. She and the boy become part of the household of John Williamson Craxton, an English bishop in Iceland. Around her powerful Icelanders, not least the clergy, strive for power as a new society emerges.

It’s a depiction of how things are for the footsoldiers of history. There’s a heavy engagement with the swing of Icelandic history, and the reader is always made aware how heavily circumstances weigh on individuals, their ambitions, however small, and their feelings. The woman and boy struggle on, surviving, and what they wish for -- justice as human beings -- is rarely available. Michael has a wholly unintended but significant effect on outcomes. But it only comes about because what he wishes for – trust and friendship – and the status as a human being that comes from it – is betrayed.

And similarly in the relationship between the sexes – the difficulty of achieving a worthwhile one when the rules applying to each sex are so different. The least powerful are compromised, and so, if they had the wit to know it, are the powerful. Ragna’s relationship with Thorkell offers her little, but it is a relationship, however limited. Thorkell doesn’t really understand offering, only taking, and plotting. “How small men’s hearts can be,” remarks the novel.
In the end Ragna receives a promise of marriage that will legitimise her son, a coveted goal, and she sails off. But on one reading of North Atlantic history she sails into starvation and oblivion.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical tale set in Iceland, featuring lords and ladies and a woman who is trying to make her way in a male-dominated world. Throw in some battles and the suggestion of magic, and you've got a cracking story. The tone and setting reminded me of Mary Stewart's Arthur books, which was a very good thing, indeed. I really enjoyed reading this.

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrillng and captivating book.

[Guðbjörg Ósk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galdur er bók eftir Vilborgu Davíðsdóttur og kom út árið 2000 og var gefinn út af Máli og menningu. Mér fannst bókin vera mjög skemmtileg en það komu líka svona ,,vó´´ áhrif í byrjunninni þegar hún elskaðist með Englendingnum þegar hún var bara 14 ára.
Bókin er um líf hennar á Íslandi og þær flækjur sem upp koma þegar hún varð ólétt eftir enskan sjómann. Ragnfríður átti fyrst að giftast Þorkeli en þegar það kemur í ljós að hún var ólétt þá var hætt við að gifta þau örugglega vegna þess að feðurnir náðu ekki samkomulagi. Mér fannst Þorkell ekki vera réttur fyrir Ragnfríði, Ragnfríði vantar einhvern mann sem virðir hana og Mikjál son hennar. Þegar Mikjáli er boðinn skólavist á Hólum í Hjaltadal býðst að verða bústýra þar, þar sem Þorkell var kennari og þá tóku Ragnfríður og Þorkell saman. Sagan gerist á þeim tíma sem Englendingar eru að versla af íslendingum fisk þó Noregskonungur sé búinn að banna það.

[Cindy H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really atmospheric, medieval Iceland described vividly and richly. Ragna, a young girl from a prestigious family is betrothed to Thorkell a young man from an educated & privileged background. When Ragna is caught in a compromising situation that leaves her pregnant with another’s child she is abandoned by Thorkell. A decade later Ragna & Thorkell cross paths, but nothing is as it seems.
I enjoyed this book well enough. Three stars
It’s a #BorrowNotBuy

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story of a woman whose good life is shattered due to a moment's caprice. She is left to pay the price, and, as for most women and girls in this time, others make choices for her. Despite the powerless situation she seems to be in, she manages to build a life for herself and her son and envision a better future for them both. That better future is once again imperiled by the demands and choices of the men around her, and she must choose where to risk making her stand. The story also offered an interesting window into 15th century Icelandic life.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just never quite got into this. I was frustrated with the love story and never connected to any of the characters. I'd get going on one bit of plot, but then it would be dropped. The politics of the time and setting were interesting, but the story just never got going.

[Mary Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done!

[Heidi Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit slow, but worth the effort to stick with it. Fascinating insight into the historical attitudes and impact of the political issues if the time.

[Unnursvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ég er vanalega mjög hrifin af bókum eftir Vilborgu, en þessi gerði mjög lítið fyrir mig. Ég hafði mjög gaman af mæðginunum og hvernig það var að vera ógift kona á Íslandi með barn á þessum tíma. En allt hitt vakti engan áhuga minn og mikið fjári fannst mér þessi Þorkell gaur leiðinlegur. Hann fór svo í pirrurnar á mér. Það var stundum minnst á elskulegan fjörðinn minn í þessari bók, sem ég hafði jú reyndar mjög gaman af, og gaf bókinni örugglega svona hálfa stjörnu fyrir.

[Shawn Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fourteen year old Ragna was a part of a well-landed family in medieval Iceland and had a bright future. But after sleeping with a stranded English sailor and bearing an illegitimate child, her future faded and she settled into mere existence.

After ten years, she is offered a position as housekeeper for the new English Bishop - just as the situation between the Icelanders and the English begins to boil over. Her position gives her more freedom and more purpose, as well as an education for her son- but it also brings her back into the circle of Thorknell, the man she had been pledged to marry before the birth of her son, now a priest.

Torn between her son, her love for Thorkell, and a new life; Ragna must decide which life to choose.

I know next to nothing about medieval Iceland. In that respect this book was fascinating. Davidsdottir is excellent in her descriptions and tells the story well. It's just that the story itself is really rather boring.

The scenery is vibrant and stands out in description. The way of life is also vividly painted, written so that it comes alive in the mind of the reader. But for the most part, nothing much happens.

The action is mainly reserved for the end of the book, and ends in such a way that it doesn't really end. I'm not sure if there is a sequel to this book, or if one was planned; but it seemed that the story was not over.

I didn't particularly like the character of Ragna. And I absolutely hated the character of Thorkell, whose utter amorality makes me want to shout at anyone dealing with him in the book. I actually want to take an ax to the man, and if he were offed in a later book, I'd probably greet the news with applause. The only character I found myself drawn to was Michael, Ragna's son. A young boy, he sees the world through the eyes of a young boy who knows that his birth makes him different - less - even as he doesn't feel something less.

Even with the beautiful scenic descriptions, this book was slow going. Very slow going. Kind of like the majority of Ragna's life.

[Quentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. I'd have liked to have given this book 3.5 stars. But I'll err towards 4 simply because despite some shortcomings, this was a genuinely interesting book.
The plot isn't the simple boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back stuff. The characters are deeply flawed, some more alive than others. Vilborg Davidsdóttir is a fine writer and it's a relief that there has been no attempt to foist 21st century morality onto medieval characters.
From this Brit reader's point of view, the very American English used grates, but I suppose that's what Amazon Crossing's editors wanted to see. In general, Alda Sigmundsdóttir's translation is excellent and reads well, giving the text the right quality for mediaeval Iceland. That's what makes the use of 'pants' awkward, and an expression like 'you've got spunk, kid' doesn't sit well among the words of a medieval Icelander. I'm wondering if this is something that came from the Amazon editor wanting to make the book accessible for a 21st century US readership?
But read it and find out for yourself. There's precious little fiction set in this otherwise obscure place and era, which alone makes it worth investigating.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was originally published in Iceland and was recently translated to English and released in the U.S. The translator did a very good job...I wouldn't have ever known that the original story wasn't written in English. The only difficult part of the book are the names of characters and the locations. But...oh, so very different and interesting!

This story is set in 15th Century Iceland and flows easily although sometimes the topic is a bit violent and disturbing. We follow Ragna and her son Michael as they are moved through their lives as pawns would be in a game. Neither have very much say in how or where they live and both are fighting to find their place and to be happy. Its a good story...set in a location we don't hear about too often. I recommend this bitter sweet simple read...

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't often read historical novels, so had nothing to compare it to. I mostly enjoyed it, I think, for the details of life in mediaeval Iceland. I also liked the female protagonist, living in what was very much a man's world and trying to find her own way through it, with very limited success. I found the power struggles with the English, who played the role of bad guys, and the curious and complex role of the Roman Catholic Church (or a version of it) very interesting. This would make a good movie, with perhaps Clive Owen and Keira Knightley galloping across the wide open spaces - with music, of course, by Sigur Ros (my favorite band of all time, probably). So, enjoyable but not spectacularly so.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a rare moment that I am completely and utterly disappointed by a book at the level that I was with "On the Cold Coasts." Lacking description and character development as well as a decent plot, this book leaves the reader ice cold by the end. I was repulsed by the way Ragna was so utterly wrapped up in Thorkell and she how just floated along doing the will of others. She submits herself to a random English sailor for no good reason and then ends up taking care of the Bishop's house and giving herself over Thorkell, a man that abandoned her and spurned her and who treats her terribly. "But I love him!" seemed to echo through these maddeningly boring pages. I was so thankful when I was finally done reading this travesty to all fiction everywhere!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been a much better read than it was. The elements of epic are there, but the story is instead reduced to a rather tawdry little affair between a beaten down woman and an abusive priest. The political intrigue mills about a great deal but lacks direction. So, while the book did succeed in catching my interest, it never rewarded my attention with anything that felt like a satisfying outcome. So I feel a little foolish for having been drawn in. But I still say that this book has some real potential. I'd like to sit the author down and tell her to try again. She was that close.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't say why I didn't really like the novel.
I struggled through it from the beginning, but since I had given up on a lot of books in the past few weeks, I wanted to finish this one though.
Sometimes I wasn't sure whether the scene was past or present; sometimes I admired the protagonist's strength, at other times I wondered why she acted out of character. Should I mention the many different place names that I would have had to look up on a map since I am not familiar with Icelandic geography?
Well, all in all, it was not a total waste of time, but I think I won't touch a "Nordic" novel so soon again.

[Lisa J.olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting historical fiction novel set in Iceland when women had little freedom to make their own choices and decide their fate. This is translated from Icelandic and follows Ragna through a difficult path to adulthood. She becomes pregnant at the age of 13, but is unable to marry due to the threat of death is she has any more children. She struggles to live with her parents and finally live on her own by working for the Bishop in her area. Her intended returns later in her life to seduce and abuse her. Ragna is forced to decide the best life for herself and her son.

[Sarah]

Thirty pages in, and I'm giving up. A near-death rescue from a shipwreck that morphs into a lovemaking scene within two paragraphs, cliched language ("in the blink of an eye" twice so far), a plot that rambles back and forth in time... Here I was hoping for a romantic epic set in 15th-century Iceland, but this is not good. I'm not giving this a rating because it was a DNF. Of all the novels to have translated into English, I wonder why this one?

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the Cold Coasts was alright. It didn't blow my mind or leave me wanting more, but I liked it enough to keep reading it. The setting (Iceland) was one I'm not very familiar with, so that was an interesting aspect of the story, in addition to the history. Ragna was a very frustrating character, with all of her bad decisions and lack of self worth. Considering the rights of women and how they were treated in this novel, it isn't surprising, though - just sad.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off really good, it was interesting to read about Icelandic traditions and culture. However halfway through it started to become more and more like a cliché romance novel... the main character became boring and unbearable, like a lovesick teen who just goes on and on about how great her boyfriend is and how much she misses him..
I think it might've been more interesting if we could've learned more about mysterious Thorkell and his dark dabblings.

[Maryesther · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read set in an era I've not read before. I have covered Iceland in Viking stories, but not medieval period. I was unaware of trading links with the English but I suppose it was adventurous seafarers such as those that would go on to exploit Spain's discovery of the Americas within the next century. The first baby steps of a future great naval power juxtaposed against the remnants of the previous greatest naval power of the Atlantic.

[Jann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since visiting Iceland a year and a half ago, I have been reading as much literature from Iceland as I can find. This tiny country has produced some very good writers. This story was interesting and well-written. I found myself, nonetheless, disappointed at the end, because it was finished so soon. It needed to be a bigger story.

[Hafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale, but something gets lost in the translation to English. Also the ending seems unfinished......

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the experience of 15th century Iceland. This was a compelling story of a young woman struggling to deal with her role in a male-dominated society.