Storm Pegs: A Life Made in Shetland

Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield is a captivating exploration of the Shetland archipelago, capturing the knotting of language and landscape. It won the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Highland Book Prize.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2024
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield is a captivating novel that explores the intersection of language and landscape. Set in the Shetland archipelago, a remote and picturesque group of islands located at the northernmost point of the United Kingdom, the book transports readers to a place of Vikings, myths, ancient languages, and old customs. The Shetlands are known for their isolation and drama, and Hadfield's novel captures the essence of this unique place.

Jen Hadfield, a celebrated poet, moved to the Shetlands in her late twenties to make a new life for herself. She found a place teeming with life, where rare seabirds blow in on Atlantic gales, seals and dolphins visit its beaches, and wild folk festivals carry the residents through long, dark winters. She also found a close-knit community of neighbours who were always willing to lend a boat or build a creel, and women who wild-swam together in the star-spangled winter seas.

Over seventeen years, Hadfield learned new ways to live in the Shetlands, and her prose is as rich and magical as the islands themselves. She transports readers to the islands as a local, introducing them to the remote and beautiful archipelago where she has made her home, and showing them new ways of living at the edge.

One of the key themes of Storm Pegs is the relationship between language and landscape. Hadfield's writing is infused with the Shetland dialect, which adds a unique flavor to the story. She describes the islands' rugged terrain, with its steep cliffs, rocky beaches, and rolling hills, in vivid detail, and the language reflects the ruggedness of the landscape.

The Shetland dialect is also a means of communication for the islanders, and Hadfield captures the way that language can shape and influence the way that people think and behave. She shows how the Shetland dialect can be used to create a sense of community and belonging, and how it can be used to express emotions and experiences that are difficult to put into words.

Another theme of Storm Pegs is the impact of climate change on the Shetlands. The islands are experiencing a warming climate, which is causing sea levels to rise, and the weather to become more extreme. Hadfield describes the effects of this climate change on the islanders' way of life, and how they are adapting to these changes.

One of the most striking aspects of Storm Pegs is Hadfield's ability to create a sense of place. She describes the islands' landscapes in such detail that readers feel as if they are there, experiencing the wind, the rain, and the sea. She also captures the unique culture of the Shetlands, with its traditions, customs, and beliefs.

One of the most memorable characters in Storm Pegs is Jen Hadfield herself. Hadfield is a strong and independent woman who has faced many challenges in her life, but she has never lost her sense of humor or her love for the Shetlands. She is a talented poet, and her writing is infused with the beauty of the islands.

Despite the challenges that the Shetlands face, Storm Pegs is a hopeful book. Hadfield shows that there is still hope for the future, and that people can adapt to changing circumstances. She also shows that the Shetlands are a place of beauty and wonder, and that it is worth visiting.

In conclusion, Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield is a captivating novel that explores the intersection of language and landscape. Set in the Shetland archipelago, the book transports readers to a place of Vikings, myths, ancient languages, and old customs. Hadfield's prose is as rich and magical as the islands themselves, and she captures the unique culture of the Shetlands in vivid detail. Storm Pegs is a hopeful book that shows that there is still hope for the future, and that the Shetlands are a place of beauty and wonder.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 224 x 140 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529038026