Publication Date: February 18, 2025
On Stenland, there comes a time known as skeld season: one day, any woman on the island can wake with three black lines on her forehead, the mark of a skeld. Skeld season comes around without warning, and while each window of time lasts only three months, anyone a skeld turns to stone is very much dead.
That’s how Tess’s mother killed Soren’s parents. Maybe for this reason alone, Tess and Soren should not have fallen in love. Since the time her mother was a skeld, Tess has wanted to leave Stenland, to run from the windswept island, from her family and friends. She is unwilling to bear the responsibility of one day killing anyone, let alone someone she loves. Soren has been determined to stay, to live out his life in the place he knows as home, even if that life could be cut short during the latest skeld season. They cannot see eye to eye—and yet they cannot stay apart. She tries to come back for him. He tries to leave for her. But can your love for one person outweigh everything else combined? And how do you decide how much you’re willing to risk, if it might mean destroying someone else in the process?
Laura Robson has crafted a fascinating story about the choices we make, the responsibilities we carry, and the ambiguities of regret.
A woman leaves her homeland and her true love behind in an effort to stop history from repeating itself.
Author Laura Brooke Robson serves up a fairytale fantasy in A Curse for the Homesick. Set on a remote island called Stetland, Tess returns for her best friend’s wedding, where she once again comes face-to-face with Soren.
The conflict centers around a random occurrence called “skeld season,” where a woman on the island can wake up with three marks on her forehead and the ability to turn anyone she sees to stone. While it is temporary for the woman, those turned to stone are permanently gone.
As a plot, this curse offers multiple development opportunities. The author does a phenomenal job of giving Tess an emotional dilemma, effectively cutting her off from happiness.
Even readers who typically might pass on fantasy will discover an intriguing story and vibrant characters.
A Curse for the Homesick delivers a tale that illustrates the risks and sacrifices made in the name of love.
Laura Brooke Robson grew up in Bend, Oregon, received a BA in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University. She is represented by Andrea Somberg. Laura doesn’t enjoy writing third-person bios, but she’d do anything for you.
She lives in New York.
