“I loved the language, the vivid descriptions, the occasional bursts of wisdom, and the compelling characters. Karen Emilson has won my interest in her work and she skillfully establishes herself in the historical fiction genre.”

—Arya Fomonyuy, Readers’ Favorite

 “This is a book that everyone of Icelandic descent should read . . . however, this is not a novel just for the Icelandic ethnic community. The characters come to life, their stories, while ethnic and Canadian, are universal. We follow Asta in her quest to find her sister but we also follow the lives of the many characters who make up the community as they search out both opportunity and love in a new land.”

—W.D. Valgardson, author of The Girl with the Botticelli Face

 “Karen Emilson’s style is unique and the writing exquisite . . . characters like Asta are unforgettable and readers will so naturally feel drawn to her world. Apart from the beautiful prose and the absorbing plot, the author has a powerful gift for humor.”

—Divine Zape, Readers’ Favorite

 “Emilson deals with that most mysterious of crossroads, life to death, with humour, and she allows mystery and the story itself to carry us there.”

—Michael Kenyon, author of The Beautiful Children

 "Be Still the Water is a simple but beautiful and intricate story about family, a reflection on love, life, tragedy, friendship and death. With its realistic story line, it has the charm to make any reader wonder whether this is fiction at all, along with its unforgettable characters."

—Lit Amri, Readers’ Favourite