The Thrall’s Tale

by Judith Lindbergh
Read: December 2008
Rating: Woah

I mean, seriously, woah. I’m still trying to sort out what I really think about this. I mean, it was good. It was really, really good. I can totally appreciate this as a writer, and an experienced reader. I’m not sure if that means its a good read, though… or something entertaining or enjoyable… But I have that problem with Phillippa Gregory, too, and I keep going back to her again and again. I would read more by this Lindbergh woman.

It’s not a nice book. It’s not a pleasant story. If that’s what you’re looking for, turn back now. However, if you want something really meaty, something as chillingly real as the icy waters of Greenland, something that hits you in the gut…

Library $1 book sale for the win AGAIN.

There are three women here.

Thorbjorg is the Seer woman, touched by Odin. She has magic in her hands, but that magic has made people turn on her. Twice she’s lost her family. Now an old woman, she has brought a crew of needy, wounded slaves under her protection.

Katla is the daughter of an Irishwoman, enslaved during a Viking raid. Her mother’s only legacy to her is a rosary, and unexplained Christian prayers. When the Norse world she lives in gets too harsh to bear, Katla turns to the hope of Christ. But she is brutally raped and maulled by a jealous freeman, leaving her deformed and pregnant.

Bibrau, Katla’s daughter, senses her mother’s loathing for her situation and her child from the very womb. Thorbjorg foresees great change stemming from both Katla and Bibrau, and she takes Katle into her home. Bibrau is born to magic ways… and drawn to the darkness.

Really, it’s Katla’s story. The Norns (fates) seem set against her. Nothing in her life ever seems to go well… but she’s also something of a defeatist, never taking the sort of brave actions that could save her. She can’t find it in her heart to love Bibrau, turning her into her worst enemy.

Beyond Thorbjorg’s household, the Norse are settling Greenland, learning to survive there, and ultimately coming against Christianity. The old ways of Odin and Thor are threatened, and even embracing her mother’s god doesn’t bring Katla as much joy as she’s hoped.

It’s not happy, but it is EXQUISITELY rendered.

The language does a better job of seeming to come straight from the time depicted than many historical novels. Lindbergh uses odd turns of phrase–always to create just the right impression. She writes more about it on her site. There is absolutely the feel of poetry (appropriate for a society that produced epics) and rhythm.

And, FYI, I like the paperback cover better, though it’s not very accurate.