Faith of their Fathers

Sargeant, Samuel (2024). Faith of their Fathers. A Saga of Iceland. London: Neem Tree Press.

URL: https://neemtreepress.com/book/faith-of-their-fath...

Abstract

The novel is set within Norway and Iceland circa 999/1000 during the Kristnitaka. The period when Icelanders converted to Christianity. It is based upon the translations of the medieval manuscripts: Íslendingabók, Kristni saga and Heimskringla.

The novel follows the lives and politics of an Icelandic community as it faces a constitutional crisis in the face of encroaching Christianity. The primary protagonist, Arinbjorn Thorleiksson, is a farmer whose traditions and way of life will put him at odds with the change occurring in his country. Spurred into action by the murder of his foster family, Arinbjorn navigates the political and religious landscape of medieval Scandinavia as he attempts to find the killer and unearth their motives.

Plain Language Summary

False God.

At the dawn of the 11th Century in a small Icelandic settlement, these words, daubed in blood, herald the arrival of a killer. Soon, a spate of murders threatens the fragile peace between pagans and a growing Christian minority. Arinbjorn, a young pagan farmer resolves to track down the killer before the community is permanently torn apart. His investigations will draw in Freya, an isolated housewife whose secrets could either condemn or free her.

Meanwhile in Norway, King Olaf Tryggvason has his own designs upon Iceland and its people. War is rife in Scandinavia, and a Christian Iceland would bolster his control over the region.

Only one thing is certain: these murders will change Icelandic society forever.

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