When We Were Vikings

October 1, 2019
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 Vikings--their 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 adults--sexuality, employment, independence--is 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.

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October 7, 2019
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.

November 1, 2019

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

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)