Gr 10 Up-Gudrid is the daughter of an Icelandic chieftain, and she has been promised in marriage to Leif Eirikssonbut she wants to marry Einar because "he's young and rich and handsome and he owns a ship." She and Einar elope to Greenland. Gudrid has an adventurous spirit and sets her sights on settling eventually in Wine Land, that is, North America. But before she makes it that far, she is shipwrecked, widowed, and remarried, survives an epidemic that kills her second husband, considers becoming a nun, and then marries her third husband. Brown's account of Gudrid's legendary adventures is too short to fully encapsulate the saga, and the result is that most of the plot points feel rushed and few of the characters are well developed. The work also lacks the emotional depth. However, this book will have an appeal to readers with an interest in Norse history, and it comes complete with an author's note explaining what is known of Gudrid's identity and life. The narrative includes frequent brief but vivid descriptions of the Scandinavian setting, including a walrus hunt, sightings of the Northern Lights, and the final journey toward Wine Land where "The gray cliffs unrolled against the sky. [The ship] cut cleanly through the green sea, kicking up ripples." VERDICT Despite all of its merit as informative historical fiction, this book is unlikely to appeal to a wide audience of young adults. Magdalena Teske, River Forest Public Library, IL