It’s not an official title for Eliza Reid, but being identified as “the first lady of Iceland” is appropriate. In Secrets of the Sprakkar, Reid writes of the small Nordic island country’s exceptional women and efforts toward a gender-equal world.
Sprakkar is Icelandic for “extraordinary women.” Reid, a Canadian immigrant, recounts how she came to her role as the wife of Iceland’s president. Quite simply, the couple fell in love. They met while studying at Oxford and she returned with him to his homeland where they married.
Iceland is internationally recognized as a leader in closing the gender equality gap. Reid draws on women’s past and present accomplishments. She also interviews the women, including politicians, journalists, entrepreneurs and athletes, among numerous others, who’ve struggled to make significant progress possible.
Besides her role as first lady, Reid is also the co-founder of the Iceland Writers Retreat, an annual event with its beginnings in 2003. She’s the mother of five with a background in journalism. Her subject matter is important enhanced by a conversational writing style.
In the process of learning about the perspectives and experiences of different women, Reid deftly describes the beauty of her adopted country’s varied landscapes, its open-minded people and the many humanitarian policies all of which contribute to increasing awareness of women’s importance in society. Equality is not simply given lip service here; it’s become a way of life. The battle isn’t over, but there’s been enough progress for the rest of the world to take note.
Secrets of the Sprakkar
Four Bookmarks
Sourcebooks, 2022
277 pages, includes acknowledgements, appendices, endnotes and index
The Blue Page Special 
Why are Nordic countries so far ahead of us?
Great question!