The death of a loved one is a deeply wounding experience that leaves its mark on a person — on their outlook, emotions, and relationships with others.

When My Mother Died is the author’s sincere account of accompanying her dying mother through illness and sitting at her side at the moment of death. The powerful narrative is both personal and candid about the intense emotions that clash when death approaches: love and care, guilt and helplessness. At the same time, it examines the system we have created for those who are nearing the end of life, and the strain and responsibility placed on their relatives in such circumstances.

• Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize 2025

“A unique work about the author’s experience accompanying her mother on her final journey. It offers an honest and candid portrayal of the powerful emotions that arise around death and farewells—love and care, but also feelings such as guilt and helplessness. The book speaks urgently to contemporary society. It addresses the conditions in which society places those who are dying, and not least the strain and responsibility that relatives must shoulder at these unavoidable turning points.”
THE JURY OF THE ICELANDIC LITERARY PRIZE, WHEN NOMINATED

“… the heart of Sigrun Alba’s narrative revolves around the grieving process and the working through of sorrow. She approaches this subject from various different angles: personal, academic, and poetic. She describes well how our bodies react to grief and trauma, but also how the senses are sharpened … it became clear to me how well Sigrun Alba manages to weave together threads from different directions, and I was truly surprised how much she manages to convey in such a short text. Despite everything, and thankfully, life pulls us along even when loved ones fall ill and die. Sigrun Alba’s book shows us this, and her personal working through of grief should be able to help others in the same situation.”
SAB, VIDSJA CHANNEL 1

“Sigrun Alba is an exceptionally agile and literate author and she handles it well, painting a picture of all the good, difficult, bad, and bittersweet aspects of caring for a terminally ill person. Showing love in such moments often takes a toll but also gives a lot. This is a moving story, memorable, and captivating.”
SS, LIFDU NUNA

“When My Mother Died is a beautiful and sincere narrative about the author’s relationship with her adult parents, about life and death, and the various emotions that separation evokes … undoubtedly, her narrative can help and support others as they deal with death, which none of us can avoid.”
EFI, MORGUNBLADID DAILY