Always Home, Always Homesick

'Iceland feels personified in this memoir . . . immediate, intimate and never less than captivating . . . [a] behind-the-scenes view of the artist at work' - Guardian Australia

From the bestselling author of Burial Rites comes an exquisite memoir about her travels in Iceland, an extraordinary country that has forged a nation of storytellers.

When she was seventeen years old, Hannah Kent travelled to Iceland from Australia. She’d never seen snow before, didn’t speak a word of Icelandic. All she knew was that she wanted to have an experience – to soak up something of the world.

Soon she found herself isolated in a remote part of Iceland in a dark winter. It was a gruelling experience, but she quickly fell in love with the country: with its brutally beautiful landscapes and with its people. On returning home, Hannah had found a story, and so she began to write.

After leaving Iceland, Hannah wrote Burial Rites, a novel that became a phenomenon, that made her an honorary Icelander and which contributed to global fascination with Iceland. Now, as a mother and a wife, she looks back to that extraordinary year in Iceland.

Praise for Burial Rites:

‘Outstanding’ – Madeline Miller
‘Gripping, intriguing and unique’ – Kate Mosse
‘One of the best Scandinavian crime novels I’ve read’ – Independent
‘Remarkable’ – The Sunday Times
‘A must-read’ – Grazia