When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald

Andrew David MacDonald's When We Were Vikings focuses on ableism and identity in this debut novel.

A young woman, Zelda is obsessed with Vikings. For Zelda, life is best lived with some basic rules in place: these enable her to navigate through life.

Zelda still needs care at 21 with her brother Gert taking on this responsibility. She was born on the foetal alcohol syndrome spectrum. Zelda’s ability to live alone is in question as she fights for independence in her quest for autonomy.

MacDonald charts her course through typical coming-of-age milestones (breaking with family, first kiss, first job) through Zelda’s decidedly atypical perspective. There are dirty jokes, double entendres, come-ons, threats and straight-up violence, little of which Zelda understands or appreciates. MacDonald's attempts to demystify a serious medical condition by wrapping it in a simple storyline to attract and retain the reader's attention.

The novel’s central conflict occurs when Gert falls in with possible criminals and Zelda decides to help.

MacDonald rejects longstanding stereotypes and introduces a 21st-century heroine who is fearless and capable. Her dream is to be a real-life Viking hero, and she pursues this goal in earnest. She studies Viking lore, learns words in Old Norse and catalogs Viking facts and beliefs to ground and guide her. One such list, THINGS LEGENDS NEED, becomes the meta-script. The question for the reader is, Did MacDonald use real or fictitious references to support his debut attempt?

While much of When we were Vikings — along with MacDonald’s exaggerated metaphors, simplified themes, broadly drawn characters and predictable action may feel juvenile for some readers, this debut novel balances the serious nature of the subject matter to demystify coming of age and coping with a disability. It could well be a useful YA coming-of-age read – a conversation starter on ableism and identity. If you enjoyed reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, you may find this read is similarly constructed.

Oleysha