Dinner & A Book - Beside the Ocean of Time

Beside the Ocean of Time is set in the Orkney Islands, on the fictitious island of Norday in the mid 1930s. First published in 1994, the novel follows Thorfinn Ragnarson, a boy whose imaginary adventures take us back in time to important moments in the history of the island. Bored with school, he is thought to be lazy and idle by his sisters, the schoolteacher, and others on the island.

 Thorfinn imagines himself accompanying a variety of characters on battles, quests, and other adventures in ancient times. Large sections of the text are made up of these adventures, narrated in a style similar to how myths are narrated in the ancient storytelling tradition.

 One main storyline follows Thorfinn's childhood on Norday

 Island in the 1930s. It continues into his adolescence and early adulthood during the second World War. The narrator describes the simple village life with its crofts (farms), fishing, gossiping villagers, and quiet, daily life.