Margaret Elphinstone, The Sea Road

[nanila]

Stories have a life of their own. They grow, just as children grow, and perhaps we forget the small thing they once were. But we nurture them just because we respected what was there in the beginning. -- Gudrid Thorbjornardottir

The Sea Road is a version of a saga of an Icelander, a visitor to the New World that the Norse called Vinland, centuries

Comments

[ursarctous]

Thank you for this post, the book sounds wonderful. I have added it to my must-read list.

[nanila]

It is. A lot of the time I race through books. I took my time reading this one, and I'm waiting a few days to start another because I don't want the feeling this one left with me to dissipate too quickly.

[pax_athena]

Thank you for the recommendation! This sounds like a book I will love :)

[nanila]

Oh yes, I think you will. Gudrid's a trailblazer.

[anokapolis]

I was going to add more books for my nook, this looks good, will add.

[nanila]

Yes, please do. I think you won't regret it.

[anthrokeight]

YAY! You read and liked The Sea Road

[nanila]

I adored it. I'm going to get Voyageurs next, although I'm waiting a couple of days to savour the flavour of The Sea Road.

You'll be unsurprised, I'm sure, to hear that I underlined that entire passage as well.

She is so wonderfully three-dimensional. I loved that in the meeting with the skraelings, she articulated preconceived prejudice. It's sad, but also realistic, that she was just beginning to overcome it when the fragile, tentatively friendly interaction the two groups had imploded into violence.

[nanila]

Argh! And I just realised I haven't yet said THANK YOU, because this was the most pleasure I've gotten out of reading a single book all year.

[anthrokeight]

You are so welcome. I am so glad you enjoyed Gudrid.

Here is a cool thing. I sent Margaret Elphinstone an email a while back, because I think sending mildly well known people letters telling them you like them is a good thing to do.

And she wrote me the nicest letter back! It was such a cool exchange. So Margaret Elphinstone is both a good writer and evidently as lovely as she is talented.

ETA: I should say, both books were favorites in the years I read them. I liked how familiar the landscape was in Voyaguers, especially how much I recognize the perspective of land from canoe-eye-level, and the feeling of North Woods. The Sea Road stayed with me for the reasons you identified, especially Gudrid's insight and deep perspective.