Book Series: The Sealwoman’s Gift

The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson

Publisher: Two Roads

A fact-based novel based on the true story of the 1627 Barbary pirate raid on Iceland, where 400 people were captured and sold into slavery in Algiers. The novel focuses on Ásta, the wife of a pastor, who, along with her husband and children, is abducted. Magnusson reimagines Ásta's experiences, particularly her resilience and use of storytelling to cope with captivity and cultural displacement.

1620s slaves being white and sold to Africa…

HISTORICAL FICTION:

While the historical event involved ‘white slaves’ (Icelanders taken into Barbary piracy), the novel focuses on the experiences of the individuals within that context rather than the broader phenomenon of white slavery.

Racism regarding slavery is never discussed in society where white people are concerned. This book addresses the early slavery history that doesn’t get talked about in schools, society or on the news…

Sally Magnusson gives voice to Ásta, whose perspective is largely absent from historical records, focusing on her experiences of captivity, adaptation, and the impact of a different culture on her identity and beliefs.

Storytelling as a survival mechanism:

Ásta uses stories from her Icelandic heritage to cope with the challenges of slavery and to find meaning in her new reality

BONUS:

A note about Iceland and pronunciation at the end of the book

For the ease of non-Icelandic readers, the letter o (pronounced as a voiced th) is transcribed throughout as an English d, the letter p as th and the dipthong x as ae. Accents alter the way vowels are pronounced. For instance, á is the sound in owl, é as in yet, í and ý as in seen, ó as in note, ú as in soon, ö as in the French fleur, ae as in life, and ei and ey as in tray.