The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2008, Síða 46

184
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 61 #4
of 2008.
The historic details the author provides
the reader with a new understanding of the
times in the late 1800s. How settlers had to
work cooperatively with nature in order to
live off the land was imperative. “We’ll
clean the berries before we go out to pick
the next batch later on, when - and if - it
cools down. We can’t do anything about
the hot weather. We’ll just have to work
around it.” (p. 139). Through these
vignettes Gardarsson develops a resonance
with the reader as she possesses the intu-
itive ability to connect the reader with the
characters of the past and the daily chal-
lenges they faced.
More dramatically Gardarsson con-
veys how precarious life was for the early
settlers. The promise of free farms motivat-
ed newcomers to come to Canada but none
of the immigrants could have predicted the
overwhelming hardships the weather
would have bestowed upon the newcom-
ers. The characters in the stories faced
many losses while attempting to survive in
their new homeland. In addition to the
geographical obstacles were the limits of
the law to address wrong doings. In Eliza’s
community of Maurice, the unkind charac-
ter of Steven Fiddler and his transgressions
go unaddressed and are a constant threat to
the heroine. His greed has devastating con-
sequences for many figures in the story.
In the second book of the trilogy,
Deadly Spells tragedy strikes Eliza as her
parents are killed in a fire. Her grief is aptly
described as a “coldness deep down inside
her that would not thaw.” In spite of the
intensity of her emotions of loss Eliza is
determined even at her very young age to
keep the family farm and work it indepen-
dently. Again Gardarsson gives the reader
the context for the times as we are remind-
ed that land ownership for women was not
possible in the early 1900s. The suffrage
movement was still in its early beginnings
and perhaps the slow birth of feminism was
developing. The strong willed character of
Eliza illustrates the struggles women had to
face during that time. Few rights were
allowed and frequently harsh consequence
had to be endured by women in order to
survive. Accusations of being a witch left
Eliza in a very vulnerable position. To the
extreme of her life being in danger when
the family of Mr. Charmand believes that
Eliza cast a spell on him which resulted in
his illness.
At times the reader may find the sto-
ries predictable, yet despite knowing how
some events may transpire, Gardarsson
throws in some surprising twists and off-
sets the readers balance drawing the reader
further and further into the story.
Although the author’s wording is not com-
plex the variety of characters and her care-
ful building of each person’s personality
convince the reader to believe the stories
which are unfolding in her work.
With each novel Gardarsson adds
more layers to the individual characters’
stories, so that one is left wondering who
are the ‘good guys’ and who are the ‘bad
guys.’ Even the character of Katla is believ-
able, a sorceress who appears in the second
novel. The reader is left questioning who
she is and questioning her motives. Is Katla
a protector or an adversary of Eliza?
In the final novel of the Brewing Evil
series, Dark Forces, Gardarsson continues
to orchestrate the lives of the many charac-
ters into a well organized and inventive
production. Romance between Eliza and
Sam becomes a possibility, a plausible
rationale for the actions of many of the
characters is laid out and hope for the
Eliza’s future free from peril seems likely.
And yet again the author tosses in events
that make resolution of conflict seem
impossible. The mysteries of past come to
the forefront and a surprising exposure of
the characters weaknesses, disloyalties and
infidelities are revealed.
The reader may once again be con-
vinced they know how the story will end.
However, Gardarsson does not leave us
with static characters. Her players have
complex family histories and motives.
Greed and selfishness, loneliness and
heartache and even love, propel characters
into making unlikely choices to meet their
needs or in an ill-fated attempt to protect
their families. Will Eliza’s intuitive skills or
perhaps her clairvoyant abilities protect
her in the end? The reader is continually
left guessing.