When We Were Vikings, Andrew David MacDonald
When We Were Vikings, Andrew David MacDonald
5 Rating(s)
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

When We Were Vikings

Author: Andrew David MacDonald

Narrator: Phoebe Strole

Unabridged: 10 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/28/2020


Synopsis

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 “Best Books in January”
Book Riot Best Winter New Releases

“Zelda is a marvel, a living, breathing three-dimensional character with a voice so distinctive she leaps off the page.” —The New York Times

“Heartwarming and unforgettable.” —People

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.

“A most welcome and wonderful debut” (Tyrell Johnson, author of The Wolves of Winter), 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.

About Andrew David MacDonald

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

Goodreads review by Paige on September 22, 2019

I absolutely loved being inside of Zelda's mind. Zelda, a high functioning young adult diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, has something about her that everyone can relate to. While exploring life’s boundaries, she often compares her world to the Viking world. Though others consider Zelda “not no......more

Goodreads review by PattyMacDotComma on March 22, 2020

5★ “With Gert, I do not mind going to new places. If I am alone, I do not like new places, since it’s easy to become lost or kidnapped and held for ransom.” It’s Zelda’s 21st birthday, and she’s an adult today. Her older brother Gert, with whom she lives, has already surprised her with a Viking stripp......more

Goodreads review by Susan's Reviews on May 09, 2021

What a fine - A VERY FINE!- story Andrew David MacDonald has brought us in When We Were Vikings. That ending was just beautiful. I'm still leaking (happy/wow) tears as I write this review. At the end of this epic tale, this talented author did not leave any loose ends untied: we certainly have a lot......more

Goodreads review by Susan's Reviews on April 05, 2024

What a fine - A VERY FINE!- story Andrew David MacDonald has brought us in When We Were Vikings. That ending was just beautiful. I'm still leaking tears as I write this review. At the end of this epic tale, this talented author did not leave any loose ends untied: we certainly have a lot to learn fr......more


Quotes

"This gem of a performance by narrator Phoebe Strole shines so bright that it will surely catch the eye (or ear) of any listener. Viking enthusiast Zelda fiercely lives her life without apology. Her fetal alcohol syndrome is a mere hiccup in her plan to write her own legend. While she's determined to become her own person as she migrates into her 20s, life becomes more difficult when she discovers that her brother, Gert, has been dealing drugs in order to support the two of them financially. Strole's innocent and thoughtful tone is custom tailored to Zelda's curious and vivid personality. Listeners will also find each supporting character complex, real, and unique. With Strole's raw approach, this spectacular story and performance will be a fantastic addition to any audio library."