The Far Traveler

Voyages of a Viking Woman

By: Nancy Marie Brown

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Five hundred years before Columbus, a Viking woman named Gudrid sailed off the edge of the known world. She landed in the New World and lived there for three years, giving birth to a baby before sailing home. Or so the Icelandic sagas say. Even after archaeologists found a Viking longhouse in Newfoundland, no one believed that the details of Gudrid’s story were true. Then, in 2001, a team of scientists discovered what may have been this pioneering woman’s last house, buried under a hay field in Iceland, just where the sagas suggested it could be. Joining scientists experimenting with cutting-edge technology and the latest archaeological techniques, and tracing Gudrid’s steps on land and in the sagas, Nancy Marie Brown reconstructs a life that spanned—and expanded—the bounds of the then-known world. She also sheds new light on the society that gave rise to a woman even more extraordinary than legend has painted her and illuminates the reasons for its collapse.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Very accessible general history

Well referenced- provides a nice starting point for further reading. Enjoyed listening to the reader, clear and engaging.

The Best Storytelling

The narration really brings this book alive. Reconstruction of the life of Gudrid and the lives of Vikings, how and where they traveled, mixed with details from the author’s participation in archaeological digs and tantalizing evidence from The Sagas, both the Greenland and Icelandic Sagas, makes for an interesting and fascinating story. Beyond the descriptions of the integration of Christianity into Viking culture and Norse mythology or storytelling, beyond the beautiful descriptions of the daunting and unforgiving landscapes, lies the reality of a people who survived a harsh world and thrived. From the textiles Gudrid would have made, there’s a great chapter on the intricacies of weaving, to the food she helped farmed, to the tales she passed down, this book focuses on the lives of women, and Gudrid in particular, the fortunes she had or did not have, the voyage she made. Highly recommend.

Amazing life of a Viking woman!

Outstanding research presented in an engaging story. It follows the life and incredible travels of Gudrid the Far Traveled.

About Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir Viking Explorer

This book surprised me, it encompasses Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir's saga narratives and modern critique, the archaeological aspects including the author's personal foray into archaeology, as well as historical context. Succinctly, incredibly well researched book. The reason I got this book in the first place is that I'm half Icelandic and according to the world's best genealogical database, Íslendingabók, she's my 24th great grandmother. The voice actor was excellent- I'm a little jealous she pronounces Icelandic much better than I do. By the end my heart was full, this author showed serious respect to my surprisingly well-traveled ancestor.

A Story of and through Archeology

Nancy Marie Brown does for archaeology, what archaeology does for history; she makes it come to life. This is a well told story of her personal experience in science while constantly engaging the reader in the Iclandic Viking Saga of a wise woman's adventure, possibly to Vinland, and her daily life as it surfaces through discovery. I loved this book!