New historical novel
Faroese publishing house Sprotin has released a brand-new novel, entitled 1804. The book is a work of historical fiction, and the title is a reference to the year, in which the real-life schooner and the first seagoing ship built in the Faroe Islands, Royndin Fríða, was built. Rúni Bjarkhamar is the author of the book.
Jean Paul is forced to flee from France. In the dead of night, he and his friend Leo hide aboard a barge carrying cattle hides, bound for Le Havre, There, at a tavern, they meet a captain who claims to be from a country they’ve never heard of. The country is called Les îles Féroé — the Faroe Islands.
The next morning, they set sail with the Faroese man. It is a journey that draws them into the sweeping changes unfolding across Europe, America, and later the Faroe Islands during that time in history.
The Faroese captain has a clear goal from the start. He is determined to return to his impoverished homeland. There is much that needs improvement. Above all, the Faroese must own ships and learn to sail.
1804 is Bjarkhamar’s debut novel. Bjarkhamar, born in 1964, has worked as a school teacher for more than thirty years. He has previously written short stories and a biography, translated short stories and edited educational textbooks.
