A fable, A metaphor, a parable, a very fevered dream? Just what has Sjon given us in this short novel set in Iceland in the waning days of the Great War, during a time of major change, loss. In this story told largely from the point of view of a sixteen year old gay boy who lives for the joys of the films he sees as often as possible at the two theaters in the city, we see different ways of belonging or feeling alien in your own skin, your town, your life. There are some brilliant parallels drawn in this simple yet complex tale.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review..