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“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.
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Zelda is a heroine for the ages. She has the heart of a warrior, and I loved her. This is a real heart warmer and in ways I did not expect. Great read
This is not what you expect from the title but leaves you with a new appreciation of the difference and wonderful ness of people and how to see the world from a whole new perspective.
Filled with heart and humanity, WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS is an extraordinary debut about two siblings struggling to protect each other in the face of relentless hardship and danger.
Despite touching on poverty, violence, and alcoholism, the story is one of humor and compassion and bravery. The plot blossoms and twists in unexpected ways, thanks to one badass heroine who refuses to be defined by the label she alone can use: retard.
Twenty-one-year-old Zelda was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Her brain interprets the world in ways that set her apart from most people. Obsessed with Vikings, she thinks in terms of villains and heroes, lists and rules, and what it means to be legendary. She yearns to discover her own legend and by doing so, become independent.
Protecting her tribe is paramount. She’s fiercely loyal to those she loves: her band of community center friends, including her ‘fair maiden’ boyfriend, Marky; her therapist; her brother Gert; and Gert’s on-again/off-again girlfriend, AK47, who’s the closest Zelda has to a mother. Gert, a high-school dropout, is also a big-hearted thug with the capacity to go full berserker if anyone threatens Zelda. Or him.
Life has not been kind to Zelda and Gert. Their father abandoned them, and after their mother died of cancer, they went to live with an abusive uncle. Gert is the reason they live in their own apartment and Zelda has a therapist. But financial independence has come at a price. When Zelda and AK47 discover Gert’s secrets, everything explodes, and Zelda, with her warrior heart, heads into battle. What happens next is full of surprises, creating a unique page-turner.
WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS is a must-read for fans of one of my all-time favorite books, THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE by Bryn Greenwood.
I loved how quirky and different this book was!!
Its been a long while since I felt so completely addicted and in love with a character. I didn’t want this book to end. Five stars all the way!
When We Were Vikings
by
Andrew David MacDonald
4 Stars
When We Were Vikings introduces a powerful heroine, I loved Zelda’s story!
Andrew David MacDonald’s debut novel was a treat to read. It is the story of Zelda, a young woman with fetal alcohol syndrome and of her battle to defeat the villains in her world. It’s well-written, fast-moving, and will make you want to laugh one minute and to cry the next. In the end it will just simply warm your heart. I can’t wait to see what MacDonald does for an encore.
Zelda is 21 years old and obsessed with Vikings. So much so, she lives by Viking rules of old and her one desire to be a LEGEND.
Born with fetal alcohol syndrome, Zelda has developmental and learning disabilities. Told through her point-of-view, her voice is honest and entertaining as she tries to make sense of her world and what it looks like for her to be an adult in it. Along for the ride is her older brother Gert who is her guardian and protector. Gert has struggles of his own and as the story unfolds, we begin to see how they affect Zelda and their life. Throw in Zelda’a boyfriend, Marxy, and Gert’s girlfriend and Zelda’s mentor, AK47 (that’s a nickname) as they help Zelda become legendary.
Y’all, this book gave me all the feels. Let me preface this by saying as the mother of two sons with special needs, I felt Zelda’s struggle for independence so clearly. I could see my sons ask the same questions, find confusion in the same answers, and still find a way, their way, to live their lives. I rooted for Zelda and she tugged at all my heartstrings.
Now, let me take a minute to talk about sex. As a 21 year old woman with a boyfriend, Zelda is interested and wants to have sex. It’s a fairly big part of the story. Without giving too much away, at times I cringed and at other times, my heart hurt for both her and Marxy. Sex is talked about at length so if that’s not for you, here’s a head’s up. As a mom with special needs kids, I’ve found myself talking very frankly about subjects I never imagined in a million years. (Like the time I had to sit down with my 12yo and make a list of every curse word I could think of so he knew not to use that language.)
I saw a NYT review which criticized the fact that this story straddled YA and adult and I disagree. That’s the point—Zelda, given her disabilities, straddles childhood and adulthood and that’s probably a struggle she’ll have her entire life.
Read this book for Zelda who is amazing and totally worthy of the title of Viking Warrior.
5/5 stars
Number of Ugly Cries: 1 (That ending….)
Rating: Language, violence, awkward sexy times.
TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted sexual assault
4.5 Stars
This is a truly well-written and realistic debut novel. It’s full of wit and drama with a guileless, but tenacious protagonist. The secondary characters help shape the convincing and well-rounded story by giving even more insight to Zelda’s first person perspective. The open ending is perfect and only strengthens the story’s realism. I recommend this original and fascinating debut.
Andrew David MacDonald delivered an amazing story in, When We Were Vikings. I absolutely adored this literary fiction about our protagonist Zelda who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, due to her mother’s heavy drinking, and their father died while in prison and her mother died shortly after. This leaves Zelda and her brother Gert to survive on their own. Zelda obsessed with Vikings adapts the Viking culture to make it through life’s difficulties and challenges.
This is truly an amazing heart warming story about these two people learning to lean on each other as siblings to traverse their difficulties in their lives. The ending was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. MacDonald wrote with such heart and creativity. This is certainly a must read and wonderful coming of age story as well.
I highly recommend this amazingly brilliant book.
What didn’t I like about this book? It’s magical. It’s amazing. It took me completely out of my usual reading comfort zone and deep into a story filled with unforgettable people. Zelda’s obsession with Vikings gives her a rich imaginative life, while real life sometimes feels gritty and cold. We all know the feeling! And I love her advice to always put the tomato in the middle of a sandwich so the bread doesn’t get soggy. Read this book; it is time super-well-spent.
When We Were Vikings has been likened to The Curious Incident of the Barking Dog and Eleanor Oliphant is Just Fine, but I found the only similarity to be that the main characters are “on the spectrum” and yet, bravely persevere.
Zelda is a Viking enthusiast. She also suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. While she takes all inputs quite literally, it is obvious that she is high functioning given her interactions with her peers at the community center where she spends much of her day. She uses Viking lore to create her rules/boundaries and her life trajectory.
She and her brother, Gert, muddle through life together. Gert is an incredibly kind older brother, but his lack of options lead to desperate, bad choices. My heart went out to Gert; at a very young age, he has taken on the role of caregiver to his sister. Regardless of misguided choices, his heart is full of love for Zelda and his intentions are always for the benefit of his sister.
Some of the controversial issues covered in the book will create excellent book group discussion. Mr. MacDonald respectfully presents the various sensitive topics. The story is filled with quirky characters and despicable caricatures (the antagonists). The plot of When We Were Vikings is straightforward and well-paced. I did find some of the plot points to be highly unbelievable. I loved the message about Zelda being charge of her own life as well as her lovely view of her “tribe”. I found When We Were Vikings to be mildly amusing and at times heart-warming story of family and community.
Zelda is twenty-one years old and was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She is high functioning with her learning disability and relies on repetition to learn her tasks. She lives a simple life and maintains a constant routine to reduce anxiety. Zelda is friendly and attends community classes where she learns life skills such as basic finance and social interaction. She is also obsessed with Vikings and uses their rituals as guidance in her life.
Zelda lives with her older brother, Gert, who has been responsible for them since their mother died. He has been attending a local college on a scholarship and their finances are stretched. To make extra money, Gert becomes involved with a group of dangerous individuals. When Zelda finds out about her brother’s affairs their relationship is tested and her inner Viking awakens.
When We Were Vikings is a debut novel by Andrew David MacDonald. It is a book about family, love, and issues surrounding families with disabilities. The book, narrated in the voice of Zelda, projects with honesty and strength.
Everyone should read this book!!! I loved Zelda, Gert and Annie! Zelda suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome but she has the courage and tenacity of a thousand Vikings. I laughed, I cried and applauded at the end of this very well-written, inspiring story. Ten out of five stars for the amazing quest for a better life!