Island of Wings

Longlisted for the Orange Prize 2012.

1830. Neil and Lizzie MacKenzie, a newly married young couple, arrive at the remotest part of the British Isles: St Kilda. He is a minister determined to save the souls of the pagan inhabitants; his pregnant wife speaks no Gaelic and, when her husband is away, has only the waves and the cry of gulls for company.

As both find themselves tested to the limit in this harsh new environment, Lizzie soon discovers that marriage is as treacherous a country as the land that surrounds her.

Long-listed for Orange Prize for Fiction 2012

“'A beautiful story of love and loss, precise, subtle, spiritually alive' Andrew O'Hagan.”

Andrew O'Hagan
'Karin Altenberg's debut novel is an impressive work of research and descriptive writing about Nature and place in a second language ... a penetrating insight into the psychology of a religious zealot and a relationship rolling inevitably towards destruction' Country Life. Country Life
'Compelling' Daily Mail. Daily Mail
'This is an accomplished debut, beautiful and compelling' Good Book Guide. Good Book Guide
'Emotional intensity is foregrounded and the nuances of Neil and Lizzie's relationship are set out in the writing like a heart on a sleeve ... Neil's psychological flaws are convincingly drawn' Guardian. Guardian
'Her literary achievement is astonishing ... A superb book' Scotsman. Scotsman
'I was enchanted by the magic of the storytelling. This is a novelist with a future' Michael Holroyd, New Statesman. New Statesman
'Stunning' Guardian. Guardian
'This lovely, haunting novel evokes the rough beauty of St Kilda ... A story of faith and love' The Times. The Times

Karin Altenberg was born in Sweden and moved to Britain to study in 1996. She holds a PhD in Archaeology. Her first, bestselling novel, Island of Wings, was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book Award and the Scottish Book of the Year Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

Longlisted for the Orange Prize 2012. 1830. Neil and Lizzie MacKenzie, a newly married young couple, arrive at the remotest part of the British Isles: St Kilda. He is a minister determined to save the souls of the pagan inhabitants; his pregnant wife speaks no Gaelic and, when her husband is away, has only the waves and the cry of gulls for company. As both find themselves tested to the limit in this harsh new environment, Lizzie soon discovers that marriage is as treacherous a country as the land that surrounds her.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.