HELGA THE FAIR

A Viking Age teen surmounts daunting odds to redefine family and find belonging in this adventure.

Orphaned Helga has felt the valley dwellers’ coldness for most of her 13 years. She’s tried to change the villagers’ perceptions of Goat-Thigh, who took her in and is the only father she’s ever known. But people say he’s a “bear-man,” subject to the violent inherited tempers of a berserker. Helga has never seen this side of him, and for her latest effort to earn acceptance and protection, she convinces Goat-Thigh to transport a beautiful tapestry she wove to honor the chieftain at his cousin Fox-Brow’s funeral. But when they arrive, her tapestry reveals unexpected magic, and Goat-Thigh’s bear-fury overcomes him. Helga, accompanied by best friend Scratcher, attempts to make a calming offering at the mountain known as Troll Teeth but instead releases a host of violent draugar, or undead spirits, who lurch off toward the chieftain’s longhouse. Helga, Scratcher, and the chieftain’s daughter, Margrét Thistle-Heart, become uneasy allies as they vanquish the draugar, unravel family secrets, and find their places within their community. Helga’s first-person narration effectively captures a universal longing for acceptance, combining elements from Icelandic sagas and Norse mythology with themes of difference and acceptance. Khatkevich’s illustrations give shape to the draugar’s tortured expressions and depict aspects of the clothing, hairstyles, and homes of the primarily light-skinned characters.

An adventurous tale with a heartwarming message of acceptance.