Review of Black Beach

[Michelle Menezes]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Black Beach" by Olivia Rana.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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If someone told you that elves and fairies existed, would you believe them? If they said that they had the ability to see and communicate with the hidden people living in the rocks, how would you react? Most people would think it's a joke or that the person is delusional. That is exactly what happened with Fríða and her father, Jón. They had the gift of seeing the Huldufólk, the creatures from Icelandic folklore, but no one believed them.

When the construction for the new harbor began on Black Beach in 1953, it threatened the life and homes of the Huldufólk. Despite Jón's opposition, the work continued, and that's when strange and dangerous occurrences took place that put a stop to the construction. Now in 2021, Fríða is living in a nursing home. When a distressing message comes from her Huldufólk friend, she runs away to save the town from another disaster. Will she succeed, or will the non-believers hold her back?

Black Beach by Olivia Rana is a heartbreaking story of how a woman's beliefs lead her to live a difficult life, but she holds onto them, nevertheless. The writing is beautiful, and I don't remember the last time I cried so hard while reading a book. It grabbed my attention from the first page itself and maintained it till the end. The descriptions of the places fueled my imagination, and I could picture it all in my head. The author introduced me to the Icelandic culture and helped me experience it through her words. The secrets and shocking revelations kept the book interesting.

The characters had so much depth. It helped me understand their motives, emotions, and personality. I admired Fríða for her perseverance, determination, and unwavering faith. The story switches between the past and the present, and I saw Fríða's life as a child and a grown woman. Some chapters were written in the first-person perspective where Fríða is narrating her story. Others were written in the third-person point of view, which shows her daughter searching for her and discovering her secrets in the process. Usually, I find the switch jarring, but in this case, it didn't bother me at all.

I learned an important lesson from the story. There are so many unexplained phenomena in this world. We don't get to dismiss someone else's belief and mock them just because we haven't experienced it. There are people in Iceland who claim to have the ability to see and communicate with the Huldufólk. The author spoke to a celebrated Icelandic seer and environmental campaigner who helped her with the information to write this book.

It's the first time I've had difficulty while writing a review, not because I didn't have anything to say but because there were so many things that I didn't know where to begin. I did not dislike anything about the book, but I have to deduct a point and rate the book 3 out of 4 stars due to the number of errors in it. The book had more than ten errors. While it didn't ruin my reading experience, other readers may not feel the same way, so I would suggest another round of editing. There are Icelandic names of places and few other terms that are difficult to pronounce, but they didn't affect the flow of the story. If this is something that puts you off, then you may want to avoid the book. I recommend it to readers who enjoy emotional stories with supernatural themes and bittersweet endings.

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Black Beach
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[Kanika Tandon]

Wow! It seems to be a story that would be heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. What a catch 22. Great review