Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World
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- Create Date：2022-02-10 00:19:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Eliza Reid
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Summary
The Canadian first lady of Iceland pens a book about why this tiny nation is leading the charge in gender equality， in the vein of The Moment of Lift。
Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman—but why？
For the past twelve years， the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women。 What is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle， from electing the world’s first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home？
The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar， an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。
Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised， and now first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness， the influence of current and historical role models， and， crucially， the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement。 Throughout， she interviews dozens of sprakkar to tell their inspirational stories， and expertly weaves in her own experiences as an immigrant from small-town Canada。 The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand。
What makes many women’s experiences there so positive？ And what can we learn about fairness to benefit our society？
Like influential and progressive first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt， Hillary Rodham Clinton， and Michelle Obama， Reid uses her platform to bring the best of her nation to the world。 Secrets of the Sprakkar is a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all。
Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman—but why？
For the past twelve years， the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women。 What is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle， from electing the world’s first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home？
The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar， an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。
Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised， and now first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness， the influence of current and historical role models， and， crucially， the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement。 Throughout， she interviews dozens of sprakkar to tell their inspirational stories， and expertly weaves in her own experiences as an immigrant from small-town Canada。 The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand。
What makes many women’s experiences there so positive？ And what can we learn about fairness to benefit our society？
Like influential and progressive first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt， Hillary Rodham Clinton， and Michelle Obama， Reid uses her platform to bring the best of her nation to the world。 Secrets of the Sprakkar is a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all。
Reviews
Susanne
，
Thank you to the author， Sourcebooks and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This fantastic book allows us a glimpse inside the fabric of Icelandic society and gives insight into the history， tradition and the present-day lives of strong women that shaped this country。 I loved the way the author gave space to a huge breadth of topics and voices， while at the same time also sharing from her personal POV as a outsider that now is at home in Iceland， having learned the language a Thank you to the author， Sourcebooks and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This fantastic book allows us a glimpse inside the fabric of Icelandic society and gives insight into the history， tradition and the present-day lives of strong women that shaped this country。 I loved the way the author gave space to a huge breadth of topics and voices， while at the same time also sharing from her personal POV as a outsider that now is at home in Iceland， having learned the language and acquired a unique vantage point as the "First Lady"， i。e。 the wife of the President。 While she is the first to acknowledge the advantages and privilege this bestows upon her， at the same time it is evident that she takes these responsibilities seriously and has a real passion and love for her adopted country - and this comes across really well in her book。 。。。more
Lisa of Hopewell
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I learned of this book in this post: https://readbakecreate。com/reading-wr。。。 I learned of this book in this post: https://readbakecreate。com/reading-wr。。。 。。。more
BookStarRaven
，
Secrets of the Sprakkar by Eliza Reid is a delightful book about the strong women who make up Iceland’s economy。 Eliza Reid is a Canadian-born citizen who became the First Lady of Iceland。 Reading this book made me wish I could move to Iceland with their generous paid maternity leave （for both parents） and subsidized childcare。 Throughout her book Reid strives to show how a mix of social policies and cultural norms lead by strong women allow Iceland’s women a gender equality that women in other Secrets of the Sprakkar by Eliza Reid is a delightful book about the strong women who make up Iceland’s economy。 Eliza Reid is a Canadian-born citizen who became the First Lady of Iceland。 Reading this book made me wish I could move to Iceland with their generous paid maternity leave （for both parents） and subsidized childcare。 Throughout her book Reid strives to show how a mix of social policies and cultural norms lead by strong women allow Iceland’s women a gender equality that women in other countries rarely experience。 She portrays life in Iceland through the eyes of the women who live and work there as well as through Icelandic folk tales。 I appreciate that Reid not only talks about Icelands’s successes but also areas they still need to improve like more female CEO’s at top companies。In one quote from the book Eliza says， “Most importantly， though， we must stop assuming that a benchmark for success for women is the length to which each can efficiently balance personal and public ， career and worker。 There is no magic， one-size-fits-all formula for how to achieve this， and to assume so does a disservice to all women， adding pressure and wasted energy that we all know can be well used elsewhere。”I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the strong women of Iceland and what gender equality can look like when women step forward。 I will hope to go forward as one of the Sprakkar - a fearless woman who can bring about change for herself and others。 。。。more
Enid Wray
，
WOW！ What a positive， fabulous， empowering title （and the cover rocks as well！）。 Why do I love it？ I’ll let her words speak for themselves: We need to “share our success stories， learn from others how to improve areas that call for attention， and help everyone， not only women， strive to use their voices， their space。” （pp236/7）Yes， the setting is Iceland。 But… she brings her Canadian background - sensibilities， worldview - to it… and， more importantly… the subject matter is so profoundly univers WOW！ What a positive， fabulous， empowering title （and the cover rocks as well！）。 Why do I love it？ I’ll let her words speak for themselves: We need to “share our success stories， learn from others how to improve areas that call for attention， and help everyone， not only women， strive to use their voices， their space。” （pp236/7）Yes， the setting is Iceland。 But… she brings her Canadian background - sensibilities， worldview - to it… and， more importantly… the subject matter is so profoundly universal。 Notwithstanding that every nation/country brings its own moment in time - which is the sum total of its own unique historical path to this moment - there are so many lessons to be learned， bits of wisdom to be gleaned， so much that can inform our own journey towards true gender equality at whatever scale we choose to work at。She reminds us that “（f）or those of us who don’t determine policy， we bring gender equality within reach by using our voice and making ourselves heard。” （p245）It feels so good to read a great book。 Maybe I’ll get on a roll after this one… I deserve it。 I’ve read lots of crap already this year， and it’s only the first week in February！And by the way。。 Not that I would ever judge her on account of the accomplishments of a （male） member of the family （read the book， you’ll laugh…！）。。。 but she is the sister to another fave Canadian author of mine （who also has a new book coming in September）。。。 none other than Iain Reid！！ This is a happy reading day。 Everyone needs to read this book and feel as good as I do right now。。。 and then get back to work striving for true gender equality。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me early access to a digital ARC。 。。。more
Kate
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This insight into Icelandic life really made me want to move to Iceland and experience their culture。 While Reid （and all the women she interviewed） try to be realistic about the myriad positives in Icelandic culture （gender equality， support for parents， free education， health care， etc）， it's hard not to be a little jealous。 It does make me curious as to why Iceland can accomplish so many positive things for their society and while other， more affluent but larger countries （I'm looking at you， This insight into Icelandic life really made me want to move to Iceland and experience their culture。 While Reid （and all the women she interviewed） try to be realistic about the myriad positives in Icelandic culture （gender equality， support for parents， free education， health care， etc）， it's hard not to be a little jealous。 It does make me curious as to why Iceland can accomplish so many positive things for their society and while other， more affluent but larger countries （I'm looking at you， USA） can't。 There wasn't any real exploration of that （to be fair， that wasn't Reid's focus） but it's a question I'm interested to explore。Reid's writing style is clear （she's originally Canadian， but has spend the last 20 years in Iceland - so her adopted cadence/inflection comes through in her writing - very charming）。 All of the interviews that she conducted were very interesting - a great variety of perspectives from women across many industries and walks-of-life in Iceland。 I do think it could have used a tighter edit as some sections felt repetitive。 But an usual book that I enjoyed reading。 Definitely recommend if you're interested in looking at women in Icelandic culture！Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC。 。。。more
Heather
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Damn I wish I could move to Iceland
Kalle
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Okay this book was FANTASTIC！！ Secrets of the Sprakkar is about women in Iceland and how they are changing the world。 It is written by Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland and is an incredible look into feminism， gender equality， parenthood， immigration， language， diversity， politics， sports， farming， ancient Icelandic history， and the successes and issues present in the country。 I am so glad that I stumbled across this book because I don't remember the last time I have been so engrossed reading Okay this book was FANTASTIC！！ Secrets of the Sprakkar is about women in Iceland and how they are changing the world。 It is written by Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland and is an incredible look into feminism， gender equality， parenthood， immigration， language， diversity， politics， sports， farming， ancient Icelandic history， and the successes and issues present in the country。 I am so glad that I stumbled across this book because I don't remember the last time I have been so engrossed reading nonfiction！ I had no idea that this book was written by the First Lady of Iceland （although I now realize that it is prominently displayed on the cover） （I also didn't know that Iceland had a president， or a prime minister， before reading this book） （Actually I didn't know much at all about Iceland until reading this book）。 Reid had such a unique perspective and a palpable passion for the people of her country and used her voice and the voices of many others to talk about important topics。 I felt like Reid hit a great balance between showing Iceland's amazing successes and recognizing that there are still very real issues in the country。 I LOVED reading about the diverse women present in the book and their unique perspectives。I really appreciated the breadth of topics and speakers present in the book。 I would sometimes think "what about。。。" and then the next chapter would talk about LGBTQIA+ people in Iceland， or non-white immigrants， or people with disabilities， or how nonbinary individuals fit into feminism in Iceland。 I feel like I got to know a bunch of amazing women and I was constantly taking out my phone to learn more about the subjects of the book。 I also really enjoyed that women from the sagas and the history of Iceland is explored in a book mostly focused on modern Iceland。 I felt like it set up the context for the current culture in Iceland， and they're just really great stories！ Reid's love story and getting to be the First Lady is so amazing and incredible that it's worth reading this book just for that。 I have already relayed an abbreviated version of her story to several people because I loved it so much。 HIGHLY recommend this book if you are at all interested in feminism， gender equality， Iceland， or just a compelling nonfiction book。 5 stars。 Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy oft his book。 。。。more
Wendy W。
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Secrets of the Sprakkar by Eliza Reid is a nonfiction book written by the first lady of Iceland， highlighting the country’s focus on women and women’s rights。 It’s a powerful book， and full of hope。Eliza Reid was born and raised in Canada， and then went to university in England where she met her husband， who would later become the president of Iceland， making her the first lady。 As an outsider， she spent much of her time learning the language and culture of Iceland， especially from the women of Secrets of the Sprakkar by Eliza Reid is a nonfiction book written by the first lady of Iceland， highlighting the country’s focus on women and women’s rights。 It’s a powerful book， and full of hope。Eliza Reid was born and raised in Canada， and then went to university in England where she met her husband， who would later become the president of Iceland， making her the first lady。 As an outsider， she spent much of her time learning the language and culture of Iceland， especially from the women of Iceland。 First， you have to be wondering what the title is about。 Here is the definition from the book: “SPRAKKAR （plural noun）: An ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。 Pronounced: SPRAH-car （singular: sprakki）。This extremely well researched book is full of facts about the women of Iceland， and how the country is working for equality between the sexes。 The author makes it clear that they are not perfect， but that Iceland is getter closer to changing the gender gap more than any other country。 Here are a couple of quotes from the book that I found interesting:“I live in one of the happiest nations on earth。 Iceland continues to rise on the Rainbow Europe rankings for LGBTQIA+-friendly countries。 It is the world’s most peaceful country， helped no doubt by the fact that it has no military。”“Iceland has one of the world’s highest proportions of women working outside the home， and an “it takes a village” mentality is a crucial component of this achievement。”I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to red nonfiction and wants to know more about gender equality， and how one country is making a difference。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Pattie
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Memoir written by Iceland's First Lady about this tiny nations history， customs and struggle to gaining equality。 Memoir written by Iceland's First Lady about this tiny nations history， customs and struggle to gaining equality。 。。。more
Pam Masters
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SPRAKKAR （plural noun）: （pronounced SPRAH-car） an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women; sprakki （singular form）This short work of nonfiction is a letter from Eliza Reid to her adoptive country。 It is also a letter to the world explaining how Iceland has worked hard to achieve a gender balance and is working to ensure all people have an equal foothold in society。Secrets of the Sprakkar is an eye-opening look at how one country is working hard towards gender equity。 It SPRAKKAR （plural noun）: （pronounced SPRAH-car） an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women; sprakki （singular form）This short work of nonfiction is a letter from Eliza Reid to her adoptive country。 It is also a letter to the world explaining how Iceland has worked hard to achieve a gender balance and is working to ensure all people have an equal foothold in society。Secrets of the Sprakkar is an eye-opening look at how one country is working hard towards gender equity。 It encourages every reader to think of sprakkar in their lives。 And how they can be the sprakki in their own life。 For the non-female readers， it encourages them to support the females in their life to help achieve their goals and to take up their space。For a more in-depth review， visit my blog post: https://readbakecreate。com/secrets-of。。。 。。。more
Paula Gould
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Secrets of the Sprakkar illuminates the extraordinary stories of women from and living in Iceland。 The book journeys through common and uncommon themes and experiences that reflect the lives and discussions of women everywhere。 The remarkable women in this book， including the book’s author， narrator and interviewer， share their stories in such a way that readers may feel like we’re sitting in the interview with them， often transporting us to the places， events， defeats and triumphs， that are as Secrets of the Sprakkar illuminates the extraordinary stories of women from and living in Iceland。 The book journeys through common and uncommon themes and experiences that reflect the lives and discussions of women everywhere。 The remarkable women in this book， including the book’s author， narrator and interviewer， share their stories in such a way that readers may feel like we’re sitting in the interview with them， often transporting us to the places， events， defeats and triumphs， that are as relatable as they are enlightening。 The book’s topics are important and shared in a decidedly frank， earnest and often humorous and pointed manner。 The stories in this book shed light on the complexities and opportunities of being a women in this world。 。。。more
Jessica
，
✨ Book Review ✨"Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised， and now the first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness， the influence of current and historical role models， and， crucially， the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement。"Secrets of the Sprakkar is a compelling and powerful take on women's equality with a journalistic feel。 Expertly and beautifully written in both Reid's own voice and inspiring interviews， S ✨ Book Review ✨"Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised， and now the first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness， the influence of current and historical role models， and， crucially， the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement。"Secrets of the Sprakkar is a compelling and powerful take on women's equality with a journalistic feel。 Expertly and beautifully written in both Reid's own voice and inspiring interviews， Secrets of the Sprakkar explores Iceland's views toward women。 Reid analyzes how Iceland strives for gender equality， and how， sometimes， efforts fall short。 Reid gives generous space to wonderful Sprakki throughout Iceland's history， letting their stories and lives breathe through the pages and come to life。 I particularly loved how Reid was able to speak directly to readers and let herself be vulnerable。 Reid discusses her experiences with imposter syndrome and how she deals with it by leaning “in to that uncomfortable feeling。 It’s our inner voice’s way of confirming we’re on the right path。" （Reid， 2022）。 She goes on to tell readers "If I don’t use this unique opportunity to speak up for issues I know are important， who else will？ And how can I possibly expect others to take such risks if I don’t？” （Reid， 2022）。 Being able to open up and not shy away from her personal story adds to an already awe-inspiring work。 This is a work I will continue to think about and go back to for years to come。 Go pick it up when it is out on February 8， 2022。 It will not disappoint。 （I will be buying several copies to give out）Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。5/5 ⭐️ 。。。more
Megan
，
How do I describe Secrets of the Sprakkar？ This is a book that I’ve had to sit with， reflect on， and mull over。 It has a journalistic feel， complete with ample data， interviews， and stories。 Reid depicts Icelandic society and analyzes how they strive for gender equality。 She also points out areas where Iceland can improve。 Between each section， Reid places a historical account of a sprakki （ancient Icelandic meaning extraordinary or outstanding woman）。 The women Reid includes in her book are fro How do I describe Secrets of the Sprakkar？ This is a book that I’ve had to sit with， reflect on， and mull over。 It has a journalistic feel， complete with ample data， interviews， and stories。 Reid depicts Icelandic society and analyzes how they strive for gender equality。 She also points out areas where Iceland can improve。 Between each section， Reid places a historical account of a sprakki （ancient Icelandic meaning extraordinary or outstanding woman）。 The women Reid includes in her book are from all walks of life: immigrants， farmers， politicians， entrepreneurs， mothers， feminists， and athletes。 This is an inspiring account of Iceland’s women—those who have fought for their land， for their rights， and for their voices， those who have shouted， “I dare， I can， I will” （Reid， 2022）。Reid’s collection of interviews demonstrates how unique and wonderful each woman is and highlights that every woman has a voice and needs to be at the table， no matter their background， upbringing， or status。 Even though Iceland is considered the best place for women， Reid writes about mental and physical abuse， racism， and misogyny that Icelandic women have experienced。 She discusses how there is work to be done and points out that because something has worked in Iceland， does not mean that it will necessarily work in other places。 However， no matter the country， equality is about including each voice and providing a safe space to be heard。 She ends the book with a personal story of her own experience with the imposter syndrome， which I would imagine， all women have experienced at one point。 Reid writes that her response to the imposter syndrome is to lean “in to that uncomfortable feeling。 It’s our inner voice’s way of confirming we’re on the right path…If I don’t use this unique opportunity to speak up for issues I know are important， who else will？ And how can I possibly expect others to take such risks if I don’t？” （Reid， 2022）。 Do yourself a favor and read this book！ It is empowering， uplifting， and encouraging。Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an ARC。 。。。more
Janae
，
My Sociology and Feminist buckets have been completely filled with this magic！ I NEEDED to read this。 There really are places in this world that are just majestic。 Does Iceland have some issues？ I am certain it does， but the pros are very very enticing here。Iceland's first lady has showed us the true meaning of the Sprakkar （ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary woman）。 Iceland is leading many charts as the best place to live。 After devouring this book I can understand why。 It appears tha My Sociology and Feminist buckets have been completely filled with this magic！ I NEEDED to read this。 There really are places in this world that are just majestic。 Does Iceland have some issues？ I am certain it does， but the pros are very very enticing here。Iceland's first lady has showed us the true meaning of the Sprakkar （ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary woman）。 Iceland is leading many charts as the best place to live。 After devouring this book I can understand why。 It appears that many of us should adopt the way of Iceland。Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy of this wonder。 I am most definitely adding a copy to my shelves。 。。。more
Jan
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The national population is less than that of Cleveland， Ohio！Eliza Reid was born in rural Ontario， later moved to the UK， and later joined with the man who would later be elected president of his home country。 She has maintained her own career while they raised children because of the attitudes and support given to parents by the government of Iceland。 The country does more things right than most in supporting families and is ahead of the curve in terms of women in leadership positions。 No place The national population is less than that of Cleveland， Ohio！Eliza Reid was born in rural Ontario， later moved to the UK， and later joined with the man who would later be elected president of his home country。 She has maintained her own career while they raised children because of the attitudes and support given to parents by the government of Iceland。 The country does more things right than most in supporting families and is ahead of the curve in terms of women in leadership positions。 No place is perfect， but this country has a long and documented history of strong independent women， and they are justifiably proud of it。 Many examples of women and their particular contributions are generously given。 Looking forward to getting a more permanent copy for my very own！I requested and received a free ebook copy from Sourcebooks via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Josee
，
I've always had a love and appreciation for Iceland so I was happy to read Secrets of the Sprakkar， especially since First Lady Eliza Reid is from the same area of Canada as me。 Having visited Iceland in 2012 I was able to visualize and corroborate a lot of what I felt after experiencing the island， it is a place that just feels like they have it figured out in so many ways。 This book focuses on all the ways Iceland is one of the best places in the world to live if you’re a woman and I have no d I've always had a love and appreciation for Iceland so I was happy to read Secrets of the Sprakkar， especially since First Lady Eliza Reid is from the same area of Canada as me。 Having visited Iceland in 2012 I was able to visualize and corroborate a lot of what I felt after experiencing the island， it is a place that just feels like they have it figured out in so many ways。 This book focuses on all the ways Iceland is one of the best places in the world to live if you’re a woman and I have no doubts about the claim。Written from a point of view of someone who has immigrated to Iceland， the author has also lived there long enough to learn the language and immerse herself in the culture。 Her love and admiration for Iceland feels genuine and sincere。 Her status as an outsider also allows her to give a clearer picture of what life is like there for women of all walks of life， although her position of privilege is acknowledged。Despite having a high rate of domestic violence particularly during Covid， Iceland can still claim to be friendly to women， and all its citizens for that matter， in a wide variety of ways。 From cultural aspects of Iceland like how there is no stigma for single mothers and there is strong family/community support to government policy that supports new parents so that children have a nurturing upbringing in their most formative years which is a long-term investment for everyone。 Women are also visible in all aspects of Icelandic life and not delegated to lesser roles。 Overall， I learned a lot from this book and found it to be an engaging read。 Eliza Reid is humble， funny， self-deprecating and really knowledgeable about what she’s writing about。 It also gives an interesting insight into what life is life for someone leading a normal life to suddenly find themselves married to a President and how life changes。 I highly recommend this book for anyone regardless if you plan on visiting Iceland or not to see how life can be for better for everyone， although not perfect， this small island can teach us a lot。 。。。more
Beth for BPL Teens
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Iceland as a nation has always fascinated me。 I have long been interested in their way of life and the general culture。 I was delighted to receive this ARC written by their First Lady， who had some fascinating insight into what being a woman is like in Iceland。 I'm not a big nonfiction reader， but this one really kept me interested。 The writing style was elegant but accessible。 I loved getting to know the many women featured in this book， which highlighted their various experiences， but also sho Iceland as a nation has always fascinated me。 I have long been interested in their way of life and the general culture。 I was delighted to receive this ARC written by their First Lady， who had some fascinating insight into what being a woman is like in Iceland。 I'm not a big nonfiction reader， but this one really kept me interested。 The writing style was elegant but accessible。 I loved getting to know the many women featured in this book， which highlighted their various experiences， but also showed how universal so many of our stories are。 I think this is a book I will come back to again and again， because I think I still have much to learn from it。 I really enjoyed it and can't wait to tell my friends， family， and colleagues about it。 。。。more
Ken Fredette
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I wanted to find out about the Sprakkar of Iceland and I thought that Eliza Reid would be a good place to begin， and I was right。 Being The First Lady of Iceland but also being Canadian I find this quite interesting。 She gives examples of women who have tough it out in a would that is presently a mans world。 She gave examples of women who are single， gay， mothers who have been in a mans world like in the fishing industry， as a CEO or as a Captain of a boat。 They have taken on being people who ha I wanted to find out about the Sprakkar of Iceland and I thought that Eliza Reid would be a good place to begin， and I was right。 Being The First Lady of Iceland but also being Canadian I find this quite interesting。 She gives examples of women who have tough it out in a would that is presently a mans world。 She gave examples of women who are single， gay， mothers who have been in a mans world like in the fishing industry， as a CEO or as a Captain of a boat。 They have taken on being people who have been interested in volunteering in non-profit organizations。 This was not a crime novel but a novel about women in Iceland。 It gave a lot of insight into how the women of Iceland have become involved in their country。 It cannot be hard without an army， or giving Countries which are small monies with no benefits， such as in the U。S。 does， but there are things like parental leave for a year to be shared between spouses。 Which seems to be a wonderful benefit to have。 Why can't we learn from this？ We are far behind Iceland on having women in a greater role in our own congress。 It seems we have a long way to grow into what Iceland has。 I learned a lot from this book。 。。。more
Beth H
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I received an advanced copy of this book。 Anticipated publication date is Feb 2022。4。5 starsThis book is written by the first lady of Iceland， and she talks about Iceland's role， history and experience in gender equality。 I found it very interesting to read about Eliza's experiences - coming from a life in Canada， and experiencing the different mindsets in Iceland firsthand。 She provides some great history and very open examples from her life and the life of other women in the country。 It is a v I received an advanced copy of this book。 Anticipated publication date is Feb 2022。4。5 starsThis book is written by the first lady of Iceland， and she talks about Iceland's role， history and experience in gender equality。 I found it very interesting to read about Eliza's experiences - coming from a life in Canada， and experiencing the different mindsets in Iceland firsthand。 She provides some great history and very open examples from her life and the life of other women in the country。 It is a very well written book。 。。。more
Sue
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Well written memoir by the First Lady of Iceland which reads more like a history of the country with main focus on the women。 Eliza Reed is a Canadian so she is provides a well rounded and historical perspective on life in this small country。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。4。5
（a）lyss（a）
，
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This is a fascinating read！Written by the First Lady of Iceland， Reid talks about gender equity in Iceland and how it's being shaped today。 Part memoir and part manifesto Reid talks about her own experiences with parenthood in Iceland and highlights women and non-binary people who are leading the way in equity。 She talks about the rise of gender neutral language， how support for parents gives parents the opportuni I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This is a fascinating read！Written by the First Lady of Iceland， Reid talks about gender equity in Iceland and how it's being shaped today。 Part memoir and part manifesto Reid talks about her own experiences with parenthood in Iceland and highlights women and non-binary people who are leading the way in equity。 She talks about the rise of gender neutral language， how support for parents gives parents the opportunities to continue their careers while growing independent children， and how Iceland is leading the way in gender equity in several ways。It's an interesting read that peaks into Iceland and what life can be like。 。。。more
Lynn
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Loved！ Such a powerful and interesting take on women’s equality。 I read an early copy while in Iceland， so my curiosity as already peaked and this book certainly delivered。 I can’t wait for more people to learn how far Iceland is already ahead in changing the world。
Devon Stringer
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This book hits the spots on so many levels and will appeal to so many readers。 I picked it up as Iceland is one of my favorite places on Earth but in the end I learned so much more。 Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review。 My opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone。 Ever。
Egill Bjarnason
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Ég fæ kannski skammir fyrir að segja þetta， en jafnréttismál eru erfiður efniviður í skemmtilega frásögn。 Efnið er á mörkum pólitíkur og mannréttinda， laust við áhugaverð ágreiningsmál， og útkoman oft ferlega fyrirsjáanleg。 Sprakkar Elizu Reid fengu mig til að skipta um skoðun！ Gat ekki annað， eftir að hlegið upphátt við lesturinn！ Bókin skyggnist á bakvið þann stimpil sem Ísland hefur lengi státað af sem besti staður í heimi fyrir konur -- hvað þessar mælingar segi í raun um lífið á Íslandi og Ég fæ kannski skammir fyrir að segja þetta， en jafnréttismál eru erfiður efniviður í skemmtilega frásögn。 Efnið er á mörkum pólitíkur og mannréttinda， laust við áhugaverð ágreiningsmál， og útkoman oft ferlega fyrirsjáanleg。 Sprakkar Elizu Reid fengu mig til að skipta um skoðun！ Gat ekki annað， eftir að hlegið upphátt við lesturinn！ Bókin skyggnist á bakvið þann stimpil sem Ísland hefur lengi státað af sem besti staður í heimi fyrir konur -- hvað þessar mælingar segi í raun um lífið á Íslandi og hvernig íslenskar konur náðu þessum árangri （með baráttu）。 Fléttan í verkinu， sem utan um æði ólíka kafla， er fyrstu persónu frásögn Elizu sem hefst á námsárum hennar í Oxford， þar sem hún hittir Íslending， Guðna að nafni。 Þau enda svo sem forsetahjón （！） og reynsla hennar af hinu sérkennilega aukastarfi forseta-makans er skemmtilegasti hluti bókarinnar。 Ekki að starfið sem slíkt hljómi svo ævintýralega skemmtilegt -- heldur ber að þakka að Eliza er húmoristi， með fyndnari íslenskum höfundum， og hefur gott eyra fyrir samtölum。 Henni tekst sérstaklega vel að lesa íslenskt samfélag með augum aðkomumannsins og sem slíkur hefur hún hið fullkomna sjónarhorn á frásögn sem þessa: úr penna heimamanns þætti sumt í bókinni óþarfa rembingur en Elizu tekst að slá tón sem hæfir efninu listilega。 。。。more
Manda Nicole
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