Eiriksdottir: A Tale of Dreams and Luck

by Joan Clark

Freydis, daughter of the great Nordic explorer, Eirik the Red, seeks to gain fortune and independence by leading an expedition to Vinland, the first Viking settlement in North America. Eiriksdottir is a story of desire and revenge, where dreams and luck are as important as the seaworthiness of their ships. First published in 1994.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical

418 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Joan Clark BA, D.Litt (hon.) (née MacDonald)is a Canadian fiction author.

Born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Clark spent her youth in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. She attended Acadia University for its drama program, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree with English major in 1957.[1] She has worked as a teacher

Clark lived in Alberta for two decades and attended Edmonton's University of Alberta. She and Edna Alford started the literary journal Dandelion in that province in the mid-1970s. She eventually returned to Atlantic Canada, settling in Newfoundland.

Joan Clark's early work consisted primarily of literature for children and young adults, such as Girl of the Rockies (1968), The Hand of Robin Squires (1977), and The Moons of Madeleine (1987). By contrast, her 1982 short-story collection, From a High Thin Wire, is a decidedly mature and sometimes sexually charged work. This volume was revisited by Clark and republished with revisions in 2004. Clark has a reputation for continuously revising her works even after their initial printing.

Joan Clark's next publication for adult readers was The Victory of Geraldine Gull (1988), a novel examining the clashes of culture and religion between Cree, Ojibwa, and white communities in Niska, a village in Hudson Bay. The Victory of Geraldine Gull was a finalist for the GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD and the Books in Canada First Novel Award. Clark published a second collection of short stories, Swimming Towards the Light, in 1990. The following year she was presented with the Marian Engel Award, recognizing her entire body of work.

Eiriksdottir: A Tale of Dreams and Luck (1993) was the first of two novels by Clark based on the Viking presence in Newfoundland. The novel focuses on Freydis Eiriksdottir, daughter of Eirik the Red and sister to Leif ("The Lucky") Eirikson. The Dream Carvers (1995) follows the adventures of Thrand, a Norse child.

Clark wrote her first published novel as a young stay-at-home mother, writing in longhand during her infant son’s naptimes. “I had never written fiction before and was amazed that I had been walking around without knowing that there was a story inside my head. That joy of discovery has kept me writing ever since.”

Clark served on the jury at the 2001 Giller Prize.

Clark lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine you could read Eiriksdottir by Joan Clark in one of two ways: as a rather dry historical fantasy novel or as a very lively history lesson. This book is her fictionalization of one of the Viking journeys to North America during the time of Leif the Lucky, undertaken by his sister Freydis about 15 years after his own historic journey. What the author tries to do with this story is present it with a mixture of styles. It resembles the Viking Sagas (I've read the translated Egil's Saga) in that it dryly narrates from one event to another, whether it be grisly horror, heroic feat, daily chore or the matter-of-fact musings of the characters. It is also like a history textbook in that much of the events of the novel chronicle the day-to-day efforts to merely survive in their temporary home in Leifsbudir (modern day L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland -it seems incredibly well-researched and plausible from my point of view) intended to exhaustively show how Scandanavians of that time lived. This is the book's greatest weakness and greatest strength. I had an intense interest in reading-up on the Greenland Vikings ever since reading Jared Diamond's 'Collapse' (his non-fiction study of collapsed civilizations in which the Greenland Viking settlement was well showcased), so I ate up Joan Clark's every description of how they wove wool, built their houses, fished, fought, thought about the world, etc. I see how this could be dreadfully boring to someone who's not interested in the minutae of Viking life. It fits in well with this grand man-versus-environment survival tale which ends (without giving too much away ) as a capital-T Tragedy. The main character Freydis is a difficult woman and a complex character who I think was well-developed. Her attitudes seem to fit with her time and culture yet we can relate to her desires and her capability of leading the expedition like a modern woman. I can relate to her dissatisfaction with everything dull and poor in her world and join in her yearning to better herself through the goods gathered in Vinland. One of the most striking things about this novel is the interlude halfway through the book where it is suddenly told from the point of view of the Christian slaves the Vikings brought with them. From this point on the Vikings are no longer deserving of our sympathy and the dread of terrible things to come starts to creep into the story. There is another fantastical departure that Clark uses to close off the book that again puts everything that's happened into proper perspective and provides a (perhaps Christian) moral to the tale of this amoral group of barbarians. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I have a great appreciation for the craft which Joan Clark used to weave all its elements together. It is somewhat horrifying to read through 300 pages of largely unembellished prose and then have a slaughter narrated to you in much the same tone. I would recommend this book to anyone who isn't scared of historical fiction or to anyone that is fascinated by the Viking way of life (maybe even fantasy fans).

[Andrea Carlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I would like this as much as I do...Based on the cover I thought it would be kind of draggy...but it moves right along! Exciting and not very typical female lead character. The best part is the detailed descriptions of everyday Viking life. My only complaint is I would like better maps.

[Andy Pandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed and with that a little mundane at times. A worthy effort at Viking society and a tiny slice of Canadian history, viewed from a strong woman's perspective.

[Olivier Fortier · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who is interested about viking sagas. Loved how she detailed all the day to day things. Nice that someone spent time telling the story of the vikings exploration of Vinland.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. The history was vivid, but the characters neither likeable nor interesting.

[Tabor · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my pursuit to read books about Vikings and their famous figures, I stumbled across this paperback at work and couldn't resist it. However, this is a book that fluctuates between reading like a history textbook and a Norse saga. Even though I was invested in the character of Freydis, the author never truly delved into her character and instead recounted the various events (real or imagined) as if she was describing a sequence of events without attempting to understand the motivations of the person.

[Susan Marrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of Freydis is true to the sagas, but fills out imagined details, making it a compelling look into the lives of these Viking explorers and the difficulties they likely encountered in the storied Vinland. The concluding chapters, imagining what may have happened to those who actually found the paradise described by her half brother, Lief Eirikson, is fanciful but thought-provoking.

[Chelsea Avakian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerizing. One of those novels that put you in another time and place. Steeped in history and lore but brutal and dramatic enough to keep you wanting to turn the page. It didn’t end how I expected it to and I absolutely loved that. Vivid dreamscape imagery that will sit with me for a long time.

[Mauricio Palacio V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much cover and title for a poor story.

[Lidia Bravo Rubio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bastante pesado, la historia está bien, es interesante, pero el estilo me ha aburrido muchísimo

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Joan Clark, but really hate this novel...

[Mady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed with this book, especially considering that I loved the previous ones I'd read from Joan Clark (I'm still hoping somehow that this is not the same Joan Clark that wrote Latitudes of Melt and An Audience of Chairs). These others engaged me so much with her writing style, gave me the perception that I could understand all about the characters and provided me such a wonderful feeling of some sort of poetry in writing (despite the fact that she writes in prose).
This book lacks all of that, so I couldn't really appreciate it. It's not such a bad book, it's just not what I expected.

This book re-tells the story of how around 1000 aC a group of Greenlander and Icelander Vikings sailed to a settlement in Leifsbudir, a piece of land now believed to be Newfoundland in Canada. There they expected to gather goods in order to use them in trade and better their Luck. Leading this trip is Freydis Eiriksdottir, an intrepit adventurous woman that doesn't let anybody coming in the way of her objectives.

It was interesting in the sense that I learned something, but otherwise a hard book to read. Felt more like a narration of facts than a novel, I couldn't really feel the characters emotions.

I have two more books that I've been saving from this author. I hope they won't disappoint me as much as this one. :(

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been a historical fiction person, but this called to me because I liked Latitudes of Melt and because I visited L'Anse aux Meadows last year. Clark really put me in the shoes of these adventurers. Their clothes, houses, customs, food are all laid out. I admired Freydis's courage and determination - but I am still not a fan of historical fiction.

[Amber Hayward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The resourcefulness of these early Greenlanders, landing in northern Newfoundland and surviving easily through the winter, is amazing. This book touches on the friction between Christianity and the old Scandinavian gods, between men and women, between adventure and ease. Very enjoyable.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. Not as detailed or in-depth as The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley, but if you enjoy reading about that time period and place, this is in the same vein.

[S. Minsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not easy to read but it sticks with you for a long time.

[Brian Rodgers]

Sometimes dull, sometimes brutal, but almost always interesting.