Bok Klubb

In November we will visit Seawomen of Iceland by Margaret Willson, the first large-scale study of the important, but as yet  largely  invisible,  group  of  Icelandic  women  who  live  on  the  sea--their  lives,  contributions,  and  knowledge.  It  is  based  on extensive historical research and fieldwork, including formal and informal discussions with hundreds of seawomen who fished from the 1950s to the present day. These women have held positions at all levels of the on-sea fishing industry, from skipper and engineer to deckhand and cook, in all sectors and tonnages of ships, and in all areas of the country. A rich historical record in Iceland has preserved accounts of helmswomen taking the tiller in the roughest weather, women consistently bringing in the best catches, female captains  hiring  all-female  crews,  and  seawomen  giving  birth  at  sea  or  just  upon  reaching  shore.  The book’s narrative structure focuses on the women’s voices, letting the realities and complexities of their lives come through lived experience. It will appeal to general readers interested in Iceland as a unique country with a booming tourist trade, in fishing, in stories of the sea and the people who live on it, in adventure, and in what happens when women work in a realm generally considered male-dominated.  274 pp.