Jofrid Gunn
Jennifer Morag Henderson
Book of the Month: August 2025
Reviewed by Anna Cheung
In her debut poetry collection, Jennifer Morag Henderson unravels the biography of Jofrid, a woman who migrated from the Faroe Islands to Scotland in the 16th century to make a new life in the Clan Gunn, one of the oldest clans in northeastern Scotland. The stories within are narrated in the voice of Jofrid and begin with her sea voyage away from her beloved homeland and into the new territories of an arranged marriage. Jofrid tells her story using the language she knows best: nature. In Kennings for the Sea, she etches a tentative future using the shape of the land, the rolling sea and the formation of birds in the sky; anchoring herself in the present moment amidst rough waves of displacement:
The chain of lands keeps me here
the hollows of the herring
the swollen hall of sands
the boat-land
Throughout the collection, Henderson's musicality lulls us back in time so that we may glimpse through the eyes of people during a time when roles and societal expectations were very different. Many of the poems read like passages of prayer, quiet and incantatory yet powerful and emotive. Henderson takes us on a sweeping journey through Jofrid’s life, exploring themes such as the grief associated with migration, where personal identity is uprooted to plant seed for an alternative life, to becoming a wife and mother. For instance, ‘Wedding ring shawl: advice from a mother-in-law’ is knitted together in a methodical pattern:
Then there is the pinning
and the pressing
and the sewing
and the pressing
This repetition emulates the relentless discipline of married life, where every knit and purl seals Jofrid’s status as an obedient daughter-in-law, obeying instructions without question.
Then in ‘Other Mothers’, Henderson explores the complex emotions often birthed in motherhood:
My arms are angles,
lines that change abruptly,
sharp elbows,
unnatural.
Other mothers embrace,
Their children rest their soft heads, secure
Here we see Jofrid’s vulnerabilities laid bare, the self-consciousness of her body and the way she holds it, as well as how she compares herself to the nurturing softness of other women with their children while questioning her own abilities as a care giver. These doubts and emotions are very real and it's through sensitive moments like these that Henderson reaches out to the reader, transcending history to depict universal challenges that still exist for people today.
Henderson accomplishes this flowing biographical narrative throughout, at times including passages of prose to provide deeper historical and mythical context. ‘The Princess of Suðuroy’ narrates the legend of a Scottish Princess who fled to the Faroe Islands for love, ‘The Mother Troll’ explores the folklore of trolls existing alongside family life within the rugged Scottish landscape. In ‘The Clan Gunn’s Stories’, we learn about the trauma, conflict and instability of war. But most of all, by immersing readers in a past way of living, Henderson reminds us that there is more to life than our gadgets and finger swipes for knowledge. After all, why look down at our screens when we can gaze up at the map of the stars and absorb the illuminating wisdom of the nature around us?
Jofrid Gunn is published by Shearsman Books
Anna Cheung is a poet based in Glasgow. Her debut poetry collection Where Decay Sleeps was published by Haunt Publishing. Amongst other writings, her previous works were published in the anthologies Golden Hours, Haunted Voices, Forward Book of Poetry and literary magazines such as Shoreline of Infinity, The Dark Horse, Myth & Lore, Dreich and Zarf. She was highly commended by the Forward Prize in 2022. She has performed at various spoken word events including Cymera Festival, Granite Noir, Edinburgh Literary Salon and Edinburgh Book Festival