About this item
"THE HOTTEST NEW BOOK FROM ICELAND IS WOMAN AT 1,000 DEGREES . . . What a story it is, one worth reading to further understand the complexity of World War II - and to enjoy the quick wit of a woman you wont forget." - Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post. "I live here alone in a garage, together with a laptop computer and an old hand grenade. Its pretty cozy.". Herra Bjornsson is at the beginning of the end of her life. Oh, she has two weeks left, maybe three - she has booked her cremation appointment, at a crispy 1,000 degrees, so it wont be long. But until then she has her cigarettes, a World War II-era weapon, some Facebook friends, and her memories to sustain her.. And what a life this remarkable eighty-year-old narrator has led. In the internationally bestselling and award-winning Woman at 1,000 Degrees, which has been published in fourteen languages, noted Icelandic novelist Hallgrímur Helgason has created a true literary original. From Herras childhood in the remote islands of Iceland, where she was born the granddaughter of Icelands first president, to teen years spent living by her wits alone in war-torn Europe while her father fought on the side of the Nazis, to love affairs on several continents, Herra Bjornsson moved Zelig-like through the major events and locales of the twentieth century. She wed and lost husbands, had children, fled a war, kissed a Beatle, weathered the Icelandic financial crash, and mastered the Internet. She has experienced luck and betrayal and upheaval and pain, and - with a bawdy, uncompromising spirit - she has survived it all.. Now, as she awaits death in a garage in Reykjavík, she shows us a woman unbowed by the forces of history. Each part of Herras story is a poignant piece of a puzzle that comes together in the final pages of this remarkable, unpredictable, and enthralling novel.
About the Author
Hallgrimur Helgason was born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1959. He started out as an artist, showing his work in several galleries of both New York and Paris, where he lived in the late eighties and early nineties. He made his debut as a novelist in 1990 and gained international attention with his third novel, "101 Reykjavik" ("Imagine if Henry Miller had written 'Tropic of Cancer' on crack instead of wine." - Tim Sandlin), which was made into a film starring Victoria Abril. In 2001 Helgason received the Icelandic Literary Prize for "The Author of Iceland." He has twice been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize, with "101 Reykjavik" in 1999, and "Stormland" in 2007. A film based on the latter was released in early 2011. "The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning" is his only novel written in English. It was published in Iceland in 2008, in the author's own translation, and became a bestseller in Germany in 2010. A father of three, Hallgrimur divides his time between Reykjavik and Hrísey Island. For more information, visit hallgrimurhelgason.com.Author photo copyright Hari.
