Christina Sunley, The Tricking of Freya

The Tricking of Freya

Christina Sunley

St. Martin's, Mar 2009, $25.95

ISBN: 9780312378776

Having overheard her mom and aunt argue even if their voices were kept low, Freya Morris knows her Aunt Birdie once gave birth to a child. However, no one says anything further as to what happened to the child. She hopes one day to meet her nameless cousin, but in the meantime writes a memoir she prays she can present to her unknown and unnamed relative.

Freya has lived in Connecticut, but her maternal Icelandic relatives live in Gimli, Canada. She learns she is a descendent of a long line of great Icelandic poets, which means her cousin is too. Whereas her aunt pushes their Icelandic heritage on Freya; her mom is Americanized. Over the decades Frey is pulled in opposite directions.

This is an odd but fascinating novel that gracefully moves between time (over two decades) and place (United States, Canada and Iceland). The key to tale is the fully developed three strong females as the two sisters yank the next generation in totally opposite ways. Fans who appreciate a somewhat dark dysfunctional family saga will enjoy Freya's fable as one side of her embraces the convenience of American materialism while the other cherishes Icelandic adaptation to Norse mythology.

Harriet Klausner