This story takes us to a small, pretend island called Norday, which is meant to look like the Orkney Islands. We meet a young boy named Thorfinn Ragnarson, who lives with his family as a crofter, meaning they farm small pieces of land. Thorfinn has a very special imagination. He often dreams of the past, and in those dreams, he’s living through important moments in his people's history. One minute he’s alongside Viking warriors in a faraway land, and the next he’s witnessing a famous battle. When he wakes up, he finds himself in his own time, a world that seems to have stood still for many years. The people live in a way that has been the same for many generations, full of stories and old traditions. It's a simple life, connected to the land and to each other. I remember when my own grandmother used to tell me stories about her childhood on a farm. It felt like stepping back in time, and I could almost feel the same sense of connection to the past that Thorfinn experiences.
As Thorfinn grows older, the world starts to change around him. He falls in love, and he experiences the arrival of new ideas and ways of doing things. These changes bring big shifts to the island, some good, some hard to accept. Then, during a war, Thorfinn is captured and finds himself in a prisoner-of-war camp. It’s in this difficult place that he discovers his ability to write. It's incredible how people can find strength and a voice in the darkest of times. Sometimes, it’s when we're stripped of everything that we discover who we truly are. The power of storytelling to help us process difficult experiences is something I’ve seen time and time again within the groups I've led. After the war, Thorfinn becomes a famous writer and goes back to his home island, hoping to find the peace he knew as a child. He's looking for a feeling of freedom and quietness that he had when he was young. He expects to find the same world he left behind, but things aren’t as he remembers them.
What he finds is something he wasn’t even expecting. The book mixes old stories and real events together to create a story that seems easy to understand but has a lot of meaning. It's a story about a place, a people, and one boy's journey through time and change. It reminds us that even though the world keeps moving forward, the past always shapes who we are, and sometimes, the things we’re searching for are not what we expect them to be. It’s a story that stays with you long after you finish reading, prompting you to reflect on your own connection to the past and the changes that shape our lives.
This is a story that feels like a warm hug on a chilly day. It gently pulls you into a world that’s both familiar and wonderfully different. It’s a place where the land dictates the rhythm of life, where stories are passed down through generations, and where the past feels incredibly close. I’m reminded of my own childhood summers spent with my great-aunt. She lived in a small cottage surrounded by fields, and she had a way of making the simplest things – baking bread, tending to the garden – feel like magical rituals. She’s gone now, but those memories, the scent of yeast and warm earth, remain vivid. The story captures that same feeling of timelessness, of belonging to something larger than yourself. It's a beautiful reminder that even in a world that often feels chaotic and rushed, there’s a quiet strength to be found in tradition, in connection to the land, and in the power of shared stories. It’s a story that invites you to slow down, to breathe deep, and to appreciate the simple joys of life. It’s a story about what it means to be human, to belong, and to find your place in the world. It's a comforting journey to a place where the echoes of the past resonate in every stone and every heart.
The boy in the story grows up surrounded by these traditions, but he also has this special gift: he dreams. And in these dreams, he’s living history. One moment he's beside fierce warriors, the next he’s watching a momentous struggle unfold. When he wakes up, he returns to his ordinary life, which feels both peaceful and unchanging. As he grows, things start to shift. He finds love, and new ideas begin to take root on the island. Some of these changes are wonderful, others are difficult. Then comes a time of war, and he is taken prisoner. It's in this place of hardship that he discovers a new way to express himself: through writing. It's amazing how people can find a voice, a way to make sense of difficult times. It shows us that even when we feel lost and powerless, we still have the ability to create, to connect, and to find meaning. It speaks to that incredible resilience we all have within us.
Ultimately, it’s a story about finding your way back home, not just to a place, but to a feeling. He returns expecting the world to be as he left it, a place of quiet simplicity. But he discovers that things are never quite the same, and that the things we search for are often different than what we imagine. It’s a story that encourages reflection – about our own roots, our own memories, and how the past shapes who we are. It’s a reminder that change is inevitable, but that the stories we tell and the connections we make can help us navigate the journey. And that, sometimes, the greatest treasures are found not in the things we expect, but in the unexpected places along the way.
Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
This story is a gentle and heartwarming journey that feels like a comforting embrace. It's about a young boy growing up in a small, quiet place, surrounded by tradition and stories passed down through generations. It's a simple tale of a boy’s life, full of dreams and changes, and finding his way back to a place he once knew. It’s a story that shows how even in a world that is always moving forward, the past continues to shape who we are. It's a reminder of the power of stories to help us understand ourselves and the world around us. It's a beautiful exploration of belonging, memory, and the bittersweet reality that things are never quite the same as we remember them. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars, as it’s a lovely read for anyone seeking a quiet moment of reflection and a touch of warmth.