It’s spring in a small village by the sea. Work is sparse and everyone is struggling to make ends meet. Young people dream of a brighter future, while the older allow each day’s pain and pleasure to suffice. But when the war comes to the village, the world war itself, everything changes. The streets fill with foreign soldiers and vehicles, new buildings rise all around and out in the fjords lie giant battleships – but the threat looms: enemy planes with bombs that spare no one.

Over My Hometown tells of the people from Hakot, friends and neighbors in Seydisfjord. Ásta is fifteen when the war hits, excited about the novelties but needing to set her dreams aside: going to Reykjavik to study dance. Her sister Thruda has small children and is at once strong-minded and terror-stricken. Her mother Runa takes everything in stride but the stress is taking its toll on her. Each generation responds to the situation in their own way, but the war, its perils, and changes to the town leave a deep impression.

Kristin Steinsdottir has a particular knack for creating convincing and entertaining characters, writing with warmth and sensitivity about their destinies and
everyday lives.