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Always Home, Always Homesick

Synopsis

‘Immediate, intimate and never less than captivating’ – The Guardian

From the bestselling author of Burial Rites comes an inspirational memoir about her travels in Iceland, an extraordinary country that has forged a nation of storytellers.

When she was seventeen years old, Hannah Kent travelled to Iceland from Australia. She’d never seen snow before, didn’t speak a word of Icelandic. All she knew was that she wanted to have an experience – to soak up something of the world.

Soon she found herself isolated in a remote part of Iceland in a dark winter. It was a gruelling experience, but she quickly fell in love with the country: with its brutally beautiful landscapes and with its people. On returning home, with images of Iceland’s towering glaciers and windswept tundras in her dreams, Hannah began to write.

Now, as a mother and a wife, she looks back to that extraordinary year in Iceland.

Praise for Burial Rites:

‘Outstanding’ – Madeline Miller
‘Gripping, intriguing and unique’ – Kate Mosse
‘One of the best Scandinavian crime novels I’ve read’ – Independent
‘Remarkable’ – The Sunday Times
‘A must-read’ – Grazia

Details

06 November 2025
352 pages
9781035066292
Imprint: Picador

Reviews

“[A] gripping memoir . . . lyrically written . . . riveting”The Sunday Times
“A lovely memoir about the curious path she took to becoming a writer . . . [a] tender account of how Iceland captivated her and forged her literary career”The Booklist, The Booklist
“This memoir of Kent’s visit to Iceland as a teen details the source of her connection and her relationship with a country that now fetes her . . . Basking in the Northern Lights, she wonders if she can fit light on to paper”SA Weekend, SA Weekend
“Kent has drawn on her talent for lyrical language and a box full of diaries, notebooks and correspondence to create evocative descriptions of Iceland. She immerses readers in the culture”Saturday Age, Saturday Age