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Summary
Summary
Indie Next Pick for February 2020
Book of the Month January 2020
LibraryReads January 2020 Pick
Bookreporter New Release Spotlight
New York Post "Best Books of the Week"
Goodreads "January's Most Anticipated New Books"
The Saturday Evening Post "10 Books for the New Year"
PopSugar "The 18 Best New Books Coming Out in January 2020"
Book Riot Best Winter New Releases
A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time .
Sometimes life isn't as simple as heroes and villains.
For Zelda, a twenty-one-year-old Viking enthusiast who lives with her older brother, Gert, life is best lived with some basic rules:
1. A smile means "thank you for doing something small that I liked."
2. Fist bumps and dabs = respect.
3. Strange people are not appreciated in her home.
4. Tomatoes must go in the middle of the sandwich and not get the bread wet.
5. Sometimes the most important things don't fit on lists.
But when Zelda finds out that Gert has resorted to some questionable--and dangerous--methods to make enough money to keep them afloat, Zelda decides to launch her own quest. Her mission: to be legendary. It isn't long before Zelda finds herself in a battle that tests the reach of her heroism, her love for her brother, and the depth of her Viking strength.
When We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own, because after all...
We are all legends of our own making.
Author Notes
Andrew David MacDonald grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He won a Western Magazine Award for Fiction, was shortlisted for the Canadian National Magazine Award for Fiction, and his work has been anthologized in four volumes of The Journey Prize Stories , collecting the year's best Canadian stories from emerging writers. He has an MFA from the Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
MacDonald's offbeat debut introduces 21-year-old Zelda, a Viking-obsessed young woman with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, who lives with her gruff, tattooed older brother and guardian, Gert. While he attends college on a hardship scholarship, Zelda enjoys spending time with Gert's feisty ex-girlfriend AK47 and at the community center with her friends. She's also determined to have sex with her boyfriend, Marxy, if only his overprotective mother would get out of the way. Money is tight, and when Zelda discovers that Gert has resorted to some possibly illegal money-making methods, she decides to help, because helping the tribe is what a Viking warrior does. What follows is by turns funny and tragic as Zelda navigates a new job at the library, explores intimacy with Marxy, and puts herself firmly in the crosshairs of some decidedly unsavory people. The guileless Zelda, who narrates, is a joy, and her fierce love for her family drives her, even if it means running headlong into danger. MacDonald avoids oversentimentality and a too-neat resolution, instead depicting Zelda's desire to shape her own life and be the hero of her own legend with frankness and humor. Readers will be inspired by the unforgettable Zelda. (Jan.)
Booklist Review
Twenty-one-year old Zelda feels safe relying on rules, lists, and schedules. She lives under the care of her older brother, Gert, and is ready to take the next step with her boyfriend. The most important thing to know about Zelda, however, is that she loves Vikings: she admires the Valkyries, fears the Grendel, studies the Runes, and carries a Viking sword. She prefers to explore this obsession in books and in her own mind, until she learns of a newly unearthed female Viking warrior and decides to bring her fantasy world to life. She resolves to be legendary, the hero of her own story. When Gert struggles to hold things together, Zelda's newfound bravery leads her to uncover his illegal activity and confront his dangerous group of friends. In order to make things right, Zelda must set out on a quest to save her brother and find her own path in life. MacDonald's first novel is a truly original story filled with love, tragedy, heartache, and triumph, and his heroine is sure to inspire readers to be legendary themselves.--Melissa Norstedt Copyright 2019 Booklist
Kirkus Review
A young woman with cognitive disabilities finds inspiration in Viking legends and prepares herself to become a hero when her brother gets involved with drug dealers.Zelda knows she's different than most people she meets, and she understands that difference is because of something called fetal alcohol syndrome. She has seen the unkind glances and heard the muttered slurs, but really, she just wants what any 21-year-old wants: love, acceptance, and some degree of independence to make decisions about her life. Also? A really good sword would be useful. Zelda is obsessed with Vikingstheir legends, their fierce loyalty, their courage in the face of danger. Like the ancient clans, she finds strength in her tribe: her older brother, Gert, and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, AK47, plus her helpful therapist and her friends at the community center, especially her boyfriend, Marxy. He isn't the best kisser, but he's willing to try sex, a subject about which Zelda is definitely curious. But when Gert struggles to pay the bills and gets involved with dangerous drug dealers, Zelda knows she has to step in and help him whatever the cost. "The hero in a Viking legend is always smaller than the villain," she reasons. "That is what makes it a legend." In this engaging debut novel, MacDonald skillfully balances drama and violence with humor, highlighting how an unorthodox family unit is still a family. He's never condescending, and his frank examination of the real issues facing cognitively disabled adultssexuality, employment, independenceis bracing and compassionate. With Zelda, he's created an unforgettable character, one whose distinctive voice is entertaining and inspiring. Will appeal to fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. An engaging, inclusive debut. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
DEBUT In MacDonald's debut novel, we meet 21-year-old Zelda, who knows everything about Vikings--their lifestyle, legends, and language. Zelda was born on the fetal alcohol spectrum; as with Frankie Walters in Pauline Holdstock's Here I Am and Christopher John Francis Boone in Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, her story is told solely from the perspective of a narrator with special needs. To give structure to her life, Zelda follows rules and makes lists, but she discovers that life can be chaotic and complicated. Her brother, Gert, does his best to take care of and protect her even though he has problems of his own. MacDonald covers very difficult terrain: poverty, lack of health care, violence, child abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism. Yet Zelda prevails and becomes a hero in her own "legend." With her strong personality and a support system known as her "tribe," she makes the difficult journey toward independence. VERDICT In this well-written and compelling novel, MacDonald conveys Zelda's particular challenges and succeeds in bringing her to life.--Jacqueline Snider, Toronto
