In the wake of economic turmoil, the Icelandic writer Þórarinn Leifsson turned to fiction to reflect on the nation’s collective experience. His novel “Bókasafn Ömmu Huldar,” which he prefers to call “Grandmother’s Library” in English, emerged as a distinctive response to questions about money, society and knowledge. Published in 2009, the story was recognised with the Reykjavik Children’s Book Prize and was later shortlisted for the Nordic Children’s Book Prize.
Set in a future Reykjavík, the plot centres on a city controlled by a vast global bank, once a small institution, now the owner of nearly everything after years of unchecked speculation on fish and land. In this world, access to knowledge is heavily restricted. Books are nearly gone, reading is discouraged, and the Internet is off-limits. Schools have become simplified, serving only practical functions.
At the heart of the story is Albertína Haraldsdóttir, an eleven-year-old whose family is forced to move into a development, a block called Gullbúrið, or the “Gilded Cage.” Screens in every room show endless advertisements, and Albertína herself must spend hours on display as a living advertisement for the building. Her brother, Sóli, becomes trapped by debt before reaching adulthood, while their parents, like others, are sent to work for the bank when they can no longer pay their loans.
Despite a world built to suppress learning, Albertína quietly teaches herself to read from the information on household products. Hope enters the story through the arrival of Arnheiður Huld, Albertína’s great-great-grandmother, who escapes her care home at 158 years old. She brings with her a colossal library and the assistance of numerous dwarfish helpers.
This secret collection of a million books becomes a refuge for Albertína and her friends. Their hunger for knowledge leads Albertína to unexpected abilities; at one point, she discovers she can breathe fire after reading voraciously. Together they begin to challenge the bank’s hold, turning to reading and critical thought instead of violence.
Challenging the financial hierarchy takes them beyond their apartment block, as magical events carry them to a space station ruled by the bank. Here, they encounter parents who are so absorbed in pointless tasks and internal competition that they barely notice their children. It is only after the children use the bank’s own marketing tricks that they can convince their parents to leave.
The narrative comes to a head with Albertína and Huld confronting the bank’s leader, Böðvar gamli, whose personal bitterness over past relationships connects directly to his hunger for power. After a climactic confrontation, the children succeed in freeing their families and return to a brighter Reykjavík, suggesting a collective renewal rooted in knowledge rather than debt.
The novel is also notable for illustrations drawn by Leifsson himself, bringing a distinct visual energy to the story. The work has resonated beyond Iceland, appearing in several languages including Danish, Norwegian, Estonian and Italian.
