Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World
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- Create Date：2022-03-06 08:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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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
Holly Melissa
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3。5 ⭐️ Having a fascination with Nordic/Scandinavian culture has been with me for as long as I can remember so this book was expedited to the top of my reading list as soon as it came out。 It was interesting and informative， and I especially enjoyed the chapter titled ‘Finding Harmony in the Wild’ as it reminded me quite a bit of life in Newfoundland and really showcased the livelihoods of a few extraordinary women。
Anne
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“Sprakkar is an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。”Eliza Reid is an entrepreneur， a writer， and the wife of Iceland’s President。Iceland is a country “where the aspiration to gender equality is a guiding principle。”This is a fascinating look at a country I knew little about and now I want to live there🤣。 When it comes to gender equality it seems they are way ahead although as the author admits there is still a long way to go。 Through interviews with a variety of im “Sprakkar is an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。”Eliza Reid is an entrepreneur， a writer， and the wife of Iceland’s President。Iceland is a country “where the aspiration to gender equality is a guiding principle。”This is a fascinating look at a country I knew little about and now I want to live there🤣。 When it comes to gender equality it seems they are way ahead although as the author admits there is still a long way to go。 Through interviews with a variety of impressive women Reid explores the challenges and opportunities for women in a number of jobs and professions， some traditionally dominated by men。 Reid has a somewhat self-effacing attitude， a good sense of humor， and an obvious passion for her country of choice （ she’s originally from Canada）。 She also runs an annual writers’ workshop that includes tours around Iceland to meet native authors （Halldor Laxness seems to be the most well regarded） or to visit points of interest。 And she sometimes wears second hand clothing to important state events。 What’s not to love？ 。。。more
Kathleen
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An interesting memoir of Reid's experiences in Iceland interspersed with interviews with extraordinary Icelandic women。 An interesting memoir of Reid's experiences in Iceland interspersed with interviews with extraordinary Icelandic women。 。。。more
Bronwyn Williams
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Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and #NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest thoughts。 5 stars！ Eliza Reid， journalist and Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland， paints a love letter to her Iceland and presents nuanced discussions of Iceland's successes in striving for gender equality in this book。 The author does not claim Iceland as having achieved perfect gender equality， and highlights ongoing issues in the country where there is a need for progress。 Rei Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and #NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest thoughts。 5 stars！ Eliza Reid， journalist and Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland， paints a love letter to her Iceland and presents nuanced discussions of Iceland's successes in striving for gender equality in this book。 The author does not claim Iceland as having achieved perfect gender equality， and highlights ongoing issues in the country where there is a need for progress。 Reid brings forth stories of diverse and inspiring Sprakkar （plural noun， an Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women） 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" （p 236-237）。 Oftentimes I take breaks when reading non-fiction， finding myself needing time and space away from the book to gather my thoughts and process the facts and ideas presented by the author。 Reid's words flowed off of the page， rendering her book easy to breeze through without minimizing the importance or the complexity of her material - it was hard to put down and very well researched！ I was fascinated to learn more about Iceland， and am inspired by the authors sentiment that while she is immensely proud of Iceland's example on gender equality， that she hopes to Iceland and countries around the world make further strides on gender equality。 I loved the final message from the author that "Equality is my right。 It's yours too。"Another quote from the book that I wrote down while reading is from page 12 "Being aware of ongoing challenges is the first step in eliminating them， and it does not diminish the significant advances we have accomplished together。" I sat with this sentiment for a while and think it is so important， especially in the face of ongoing challenges around the world。I will be recommending this book to anyone who is interested in gender equality and learning about different countries！！ 。。。more
MaryEllen Clark
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I really enjoyed reading this book！ It is a very engaging and fun read by the Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland。 She describes the "sprakkar"， the extraordinary women of Iceland， current and past。 It is both a fascinating tour of Iceland， sprinkling in data and history of the island nation， and portraits of the legendary "sprakkar" who have sprouted up throughout the nation's history， as well as a thought-provoking study of what it means to be a woman， both in general， and specifically in Icel I really enjoyed reading this book！ It is a very engaging and fun read by the Canadian-born First Lady of Iceland。 She describes the "sprakkar"， the extraordinary women of Iceland， current and past。 It is both a fascinating tour of Iceland， sprinkling in data and history of the island nation， and portraits of the legendary "sprakkar" who have sprouted up throughout the nation's history， as well as a thought-provoking study of what it means to be a woman， both in general， and specifically in Iceland from a variety of lenses- an immigrant woman， a woman artist， entrepreneur， a mother， a woman who has the opportunity to make a difference。 Eliza Reid does not take herself too seriously， and lets us in on meeting with kings and queen as well as her daily struggles learning the language and customs of her adopted country。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Anita
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* Read for the 2022 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge task --> February: Girl power， highlighting women， female authors， fierce female characters， feminism， female body positivity， females in science/government， etc。
Wendy Pitts
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I thought this would be more interesting than it ultimately was。 More narrative on how existing conditions in Iceland， like socialized health care， allow for gender equality than a prescription for how to get there。 Anecdotal type of narrative kept me reading。
Lisa Goodmurphy
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An interesting， honest and easy-to-read look at gender equality in Iceland written by Eliza Reid， the country's Canadian-born first lady。 In the first chapter， Reid notes the Icelandic idiom that translates as "a guest's eyes see more clearly" to explain how she， as an immigrant， could see the normalization of gender equality in Iceland。 As a result， she wanted to better understand how the country reached the point where the "debate is no longer whether gender equality is an important objective An interesting， honest and easy-to-read look at gender equality in Iceland written by Eliza Reid， the country's Canadian-born first lady。 In the first chapter， Reid notes the Icelandic idiom that translates as "a guest's eyes see more clearly" to explain how she， as an immigrant， could see the normalization of gender equality in Iceland。 As a result， she wanted to better understand how the country reached the point where the "debate is no longer whether gender equality is an important objective but how best to achieve it"。Reid's starting point is the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report which has ranked Iceland as number one in terms of advancing equality between men and women for more than a decade。 To better understand how Iceland reached that point and how to continue moving forward， she examines the culture， history and geography of the country and conducts interviews with the "sprakkar" - an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women。Reid brings her curiosity and unique perspective to the topic， conducting interviews with dozens of formidable women from all walks of life to highlight their achievements and to explore what it's like to live as a woman in Iceland as well as the factors that have led to Iceland becoming a more equitable society。 While the interviewees celebrate the culture and history of Iceland and the advances made towards equality， they also acknowledge that there is still room for improvement in many areas。 The overall message of the book is that there are "sprakkar" across the planet and the road to equality involves elevating them， letting their voices be heard and advocating for change。 Reid concludes with the important message: "Equality is my right。 It's yours too。" 。。。more
Andrea
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I skimmed some chapters but a good read about Iceland and gender issues/equality
Nancy
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Interesting--if you want to compare the advances of women in Iceland to those in the United States。 Reid， the wife of Iceland's President， was born and raised in Canada， and moved to Iceland when she married an Icelandic professor。 So she brings a different perspective to what often seems like a perfect place to live and raise a family， if you're concerned about equity and opportunity。 The book is loaded （perhaps overloaded） with detail and stories about real women。 She has clearly done her home Interesting--if you want to compare the advances of women in Iceland to those in the United States。 Reid， the wife of Iceland's President， was born and raised in Canada， and moved to Iceland when she married an Icelandic professor。 So she brings a different perspective to what often seems like a perfect place to live and raise a family， if you're concerned about equity and opportunity。 The book is loaded （perhaps overloaded） with detail and stories about real women。 She has clearly done her homework and loves her new adopted nation， but about 2/3 of the way through the book， it grew tiresome。 Not because living this way is possible--many advanced nations are WAY ahead of us， politically and socially。 But because the 50th story of a woman who rose through challenges to accomplish something amazing is redundant。 And， even for someone who hasn't given up on the Home of the Brave to move leftward--depressing。 If they can do it， why can't we？Three stars plus。 。。。more
Lisa Chan
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Blindur es bóklaus madur … blind is the bookless man … refers to the reverence for literacy & the importance of knowledgeReally， really enjoyed learning more about gender equality in Iceland & areas of improvement that the sprakkar are continuing to work for。 “She was also a breast cancer survivor， cured after a mastectomy。 She was asked if she thought it would be a disadvantage as president that she only had one breast。 She would not be breastfeeding the nation as president， a confidant Vigdís Blindur es bóklaus madur … blind is the bookless man … refers to the reverence for literacy & the importance of knowledgeReally， really enjoyed learning more about gender equality in Iceland & areas of improvement that the sprakkar are continuing to work for。 “She was also a breast cancer survivor， cured after a mastectomy。 She was asked if she thought it would be a disadvantage as president that she only had one breast。 She would not be breastfeeding the nation as president， a confidant Vigdís responded。”“Thóra reminded us that this is an equality battle。 She was preaching to the choir as she pointed out that men must be involved， too。 ‘If our feminist role models are only women， how can young boys see themselves in that？’”I read this as part of a reading challenge - feminist lit outside US/UK and I think it was really eye-opening and we could really learn a lot from Iceland。 。。。more
Susanne Latour
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Very interesting read on how Iceland while it may not be perfect is a country leading the way in closing the gender gap。 First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid interviews numerous female role models from various walks of life （politicians， athletes， students， entrepreneurs， farmers， immigrants） and discusses a breadth of topics （racism， LGBTQIA +， people with disabilities， juggling family and work， government policies etc） and how these extraordinary women are paving the road for others。 Favourite Quo Very interesting read on how Iceland while it may not be perfect is a country leading the way in closing the gender gap。 First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid interviews numerous female role models from various walks of life （politicians， athletes， students， entrepreneurs， farmers， immigrants） and discusses a breadth of topics （racism， LGBTQIA +， people with disabilities， juggling family and work， government policies etc） and how these extraordinary women are paving the road for others。 Favourite Quotes:Chapter 2 Helping Parents Helps Us All: “Accept imperfections。 Ask for help。 Offer it。 No one is an island。”From Chapter 4 Stigma-Free Sexuality: “…people’s choices in their romantic lives…。none of this is about me。 It’s about allowing people to live the lives they want， as the people they know they are。” Chapter 6 Being Seen and Heard in the Media: “…it’s an equality battle， not a women’s rights one…men must be involved too。 If our feminist role models are only women， how can young boys see themselves in that？” 。。。more
❀ Susan G
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Iceland is on my bucket list so I loved learning more about this volcanic country and the extraordinary women that live there！ it was interesting to read about the experiences of the First Lady of Iceland who grew up near Ottawa， in Ontario。I loved the term "household CEO"， was validated by the "mental load" that women take on and inspired by the "value of friendship for their own well-being and its' importance in inspiring others， especially women to set high goals and defy expectations"。 It wa Iceland is on my bucket list so I loved learning more about this volcanic country and the extraordinary women that live there！ it was interesting to read about the experiences of the First Lady of Iceland who grew up near Ottawa， in Ontario。I loved the term "household CEO"， was validated by the "mental load" that women take on and inspired by the "value of friendship for their own well-being and its' importance in inspiring others， especially women to set high goals and defy expectations"。 It was great to reinforce the importance of prioritizing personal development， time for oneself and having important role model such as mothers， grandmothers and great-grandmothers， hearing stories of women making a difference！Here are a few great quotes:"Speak up。 Speak up for others， speak up for yourself and more will follow""Eg thori， get go vil" or "I dare， I can， I will""help one another shine and share the proverbial mic to have our voices heard""I am not going to change the world on a large scale。 But I can do my part to nudge things in the right direction" 。。。more
Joann Scanlon
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I recently have met a woman whose mother was from。 Iceland and my friend lived there from the age of 10-17。 So often something comes up about her experiences there and I would like to understand that。The First Lady of Iceland just wrote this book and it is full of how and why they are different from us。 It is said， Iceland is the most wonderful place to be a woman。 There is a freedom， an equality unlike any other country。Lots of discussion about why and how their sexual mores are so different fr I recently have met a woman whose mother was from。 Iceland and my friend lived there from the age of 10-17。 So often something comes up about her experiences there and I would like to understand that。The First Lady of Iceland just wrote this book and it is full of how and why they are different from us。 It is said， Iceland is the most wonderful place to be a woman。 There is a freedom， an equality unlike any other country。Lots of discussion about why and how their sexual mores are so different from ours。 Fascinating。 On every level。 The author is a real feminist。 。。。more
Susanne
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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
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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
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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 of this 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
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✨ 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
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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
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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
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