Butterflies in November (Rigning í nóvember)

After a day of being dumped–twice–and accidentally killing a goose, a young woman yearns for a tropical vacation far from the chaos of her life. Instead, her plans are wrecked by her best friend’s four-year-old deaf-mute son, thrust into her reluctant care. But when the boy chooses the winning numbers for a lottery ticket, the two of them set off on a road trip across Iceland with a glove compartment stuffed full of their jackpot earnings. Along the way, they encounter black sand beaches, cucumber farms, lava fields, flocks of sheep, an Estonian choir, a falconer, a hitchhiker, & both of her exes desperate for another chance. What begins as a spontaneous adventure will unexpectedly & profoundly change the way she views her past & charts her future. 

Butterflies in November is a blackly comic, charming, & uplifting tale of friends & lovers, motherhood, & self-discovery.  

Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir was born in Iceland in 1958, studied art history in Paris, & has lectured in history of art at the University of Iceland. She is the author of six novels, a collection of poetry & four plays that have been performed at the National Theatre in Iceland & at the Reykjavik City Theatre. She also writes the lyrics for the Icelandic performance pop band Milkywhale. Her novels have been translated into over 25 languages & among them are The Greenhouse & Butterflies in November. Her novel The Greenhouse was translated into twenty-two languages. She currently lives & works in Reykjavik.