Welcome back to Lamon Reviews. Today’s memoir, Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir is by Sverrir Sigurdsson with Veronica Li.
We hope you enjoy our stop on the blog tour. Thank you to Goddess Fish promotions for our opportunity to participate.
In today’s giveaway one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Use the link in the post to enter for your chance to win.
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This vivacious personal story captures the heart and soul of modern Iceland. Born in Reykjavik on the eve of the Second World War, Sverrir Sigurdsson watched Allied troops invade his country and turn it into a bulwark against Hitler’s advance toward North America.
The country’s post-war transformation from an obscure, dirt-poor nation to a prosperous one became every Icelander’s success. Spurred by this favorable wind, Sverrir answered the call of his Viking forefathers, setting off on a voyage that took him around the world.
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Enjoy this excerpt from Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir by Sverrir Sigurdsson with Veronica Li
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I left Iceland to pursue university studies in Finland in August 1958. I was a nineteen-year-old embarking on my quest to see the world. In my youth I had deeply admired the adventures of the Vikings.
Even after the Viking Age was over, young Icelanders often did a stint in Norway, serving a king or nobleman and performing heroic feats in battle. In the modern era, this tradition takes the form of studying overseas and competing in international business and professional arenas.
Like my forefathers, I needed to travel to distant lands to prove myself, and then I would return home and use my skills to help make my country one of the greatest in the world.
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I was giddy with optimism in those days. Actually, it wasn’t just me. The whole nation was in a state of euphoria. Everything was going right for our newborn republic. With financial aid from the U.S. Marshall Plan, the country reconstructed the ageing fishing fleet that had been decimated by war and neglect.
The World Bank, a United Nations affiliate that would employ me many years later, provided loans to Iceland to build the groundwork for an economic boom.
Many more bonuses came our way during the Cold War, when the two superpowers contended for our loyalty. Iceland played hard to get, driving the rival suitors to shower her with gifts.
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About The Authors
Sverrir Sigurdsson grew up in Iceland and graduated as an architect from Finland in 1966. He pursued an international career that took him to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the U.S. His assignments focused on school construction and improving education in developing countries. He has worked for private companies, as well as UNESCO and the World Bank. He is now retired and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and coauthor, Veronica.
Veronica Li emigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong as a teenager. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University.
She has worked as a journalist and for the World Bank, and is currently a writer. Her three previously published titles are: Nightfall in Mogadishu, Journey across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman’s Search for Home, and Confucius Says: A Novel. Her website is http://www.veronicali.com.
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Enter below for your chance to win a $50 giftcard!
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Book will be $1.99 during the tour. Grab your copy today!
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We hope you will consider Viking Voyager as your next memoir to read. Remember to use the link above to enter today’s giveaway for your chance to win. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
And As Always…
Go forth, dear readers, support your favorite indie authors and encourage reading and literacy.
K. LaMon
Lamon Reviews
Lamon Reviews 
Thanks for hosting!
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Thanks for having me here to tell the story of how growing up in Iceland made me a modern Viking.
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I enjoyed the excerpt. Sounds like a good read.
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Glad you like the excerpt about my leaving home to study architecture in Finland. Iceland is so small that we have to go abroad to learn and study (not loot and plunder like our Viking forefathers).
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Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing the great post 🙂
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Happy Friday to you too. Most books I’ve seen on Iceland are about its scenery. My memoir is a human interest story of an Icelander and his Viking heritage. Thanks for your interest.
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Once again, thanks for hosting. Have a good weekend.
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Anytime!!
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Sounds like a good book.
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I’m very happy to wrap up my experiences and pass them on to future generations. Thanks for visiting.
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