Moosland

KATRIN ZIPSE
Moosland / Land of Moss

A Novel, ca. 208 pages
Spring 2026
English sample available

Based on a true story: After World War II, German women follow the call of Icelandic farmers and work on their farms.
With atmospheric and dense storytelling, Katrin Zipse writes about departure and arrival.
A powerful novel about the strength of language, nature, and community.

"The Silence, the Light, and the Wind"
A Sea of Moss and Silence

When Elsa arrives in Iceland in the summer of 1949, she is one of many. Nearly three hundred young women from Germany have answered the call of the Icelandic Farmers' Party to work for a year on Icelandic farms.
The farmers hope for new workers and potential brides, as many locals have moved to the cities. Most of the women from Germany do not speak the language and often have nothing to lose.
Elsa, too, remains silent. She is not here to stay; she is mourning her friend Sola, and at first, she cannot communicate with the farming family. Yet, between the turf house, glowing meadows, and endless sea, a way of living together emerges that Elsa eventually cannot keep at bay.
Her mere presence changes the dynamics on the farm—especially among the farmers' sons. There are expectations, both spoken and unspoken. And then there is the family's missing daughter, whom no one talks about, but who becomes increasingly important to Elsa ...
Katrin Zipse tells, with sensitivity and vividness, through a nearly forgotten piece of history, what it means to find a new language.

Rights sold to:
Meridiaan Uitgevers (Dutch); Einaudi Stile Libero (Italian);