Past Storm and Fire

TIMESLIP:  After her husband tells her he can no longer have children, and Hurricane Andrew destroys their Miami home, Val Masterson is desperate to find something to help her escape the storm’s destruction, her strained marriage, and her humdrum job.  As her life gets more stressful Val becomes obsessed with transcribing her vivid dreams of a woman named Vigdis who lives in Medieval Iceland into a novel.  Her character Vigdis is determined to live her life on her own terms while running her own little farm she has leased in Iceland next to a volcano. Vigdis must keep the lecherous advances of her landlord at bay as she becomes embroiled in a love triangle with his two sons, Hávarr and Bergmar.

Christy Nicholas delivers a story within a story about two women determined to make the best of the cards life has dealt them. Readers will recognize the present day pressures of Val who is in a joyless marriage and has a stressful job that no longer provides fulfillment. She uses her visions of the past to enrich her life in the present. Readers will become invested in the tale of Vigdis who must endure the challenges of medieval times as she tries to maintain her independence, establish her place in the Icelandic community, and find true love. Readers will enjoy the attention to detail, the comparisons of past and present, and the special little twists placed in each heroine’s life providing the storm and fire to their stories.  Ms. Nicholas’ novel, “Past Storm and Fire”, is an incredible saga about a pair of dynamic women surrounded by distinctive characters in two very different authentic worlds.

Tonya Mathenia