Books on Greenland

Greenland inspires some truly beautiful writing – to prepare for your trip, I suggest three must reads.

This Cold Heaven – 7 Season’s in Greenland by Gretel Ehrlich is about an Amercian’s woman’s seven year relationship with Greenland.  While at time she romances the hunter’s lifestyle, her descriptions of the high North are stunning and captivating.  She is writing a new book called the Empire of Ice, the photos on her website worth browsing.

Smila’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg is probably the best known book about Greenland; it was also made into a movie, which while enjoyable failed to capture the essence of the book.  Although the book is set mainly in Denmark or at sea, I felt that the character of Smila Jaspersen was quintessentially Greenlandic, and I saw tenacity and passion for her country her mirrored in many people I met.

Leaves from a Greenlandic Diary by Ruth Bryan Owen may be a bit trickier to find.  It’s the account of the first female American Ambassador, who was appointed to Denmark and made a trip to Greenland on the ship, The Disko.  What is fascinating about this book, published in 1935, is how similar her experience is to a modern tourist.