The Raven’s Nest

In 2008, Sarah Thomas visited Iceland as an anthropologist and filmmaker. She instantly fell in love with the country and with a man from the Westfjords, Bjarni. Although as she writes this memoir, years have passed and she is separated from the country and the man, she describes in sensitive prose how this life experience has changed her and her understanding of the world.

In a beautiful and sincere way, she narrates her experience of living in a foreign country, how a place becomes a home, and how we sometimes only realize it when we leave. She writes about people, culture, and belonging in a changing world, and about the Icelandic way of life from the inside.

The book strikes a fine balance between the author's observations on Iceland's breathtaking landscapes and natural environment (including the beloved birds 💛), and the insights on emotions, identity, and life in general. The reflections and parallels drawn between Iceland, its landscapes and culture and life are insightful and never feel forced or out of place, making the book a genuine pleasure to read.

The Raven's Nest is a thoughtful and warm meditation, a moving memoir about beginnings, endings, and change, but most of all about belonging, identity, love and nature.

I loved it 💛