Ragna : a novel

On a windswept fjord in early‑20th‑century Norway, Ragna, a tall, golden‑haired girl, climbs cliffs, tames wild horses and rows her small boat through storm‑tossed seas. She lives in a timber house with her parents and two sisters, where winter evenings are filled with embroidery, whispered sagas, and the tragic tale of Uncle Olaf, a vanished whaler. While her sisters accept the rhythm of household chores, Ragna feels the pull of ancient Viking spirits, dreaming of distant horizons and the roar of the northern wind.

Secretly she devours old sagas and keeps a hidden notebook of fierce verses about valkyries and sea‑borne heroes. When her younger sister finds the pages, their father summons Ragna to his study, reads the poems, and offers a calm yet firm judgment. The meeting forces her to reckon with her restless heart and the expectations of her close‑knit family, hinting at a path of self‑discovery that mirrors the legends she loves.