Troll Valley

By: Lars Walker

Narrated by: Lars Walker

Chris Anderson has everything. He’s the son of the richest family in town. He lives in a beautiful, loving home. He even has a fairy godmother. Chris Anderson also has nothing. He was born with a deformed arm, and when he gets angry he sees visions that terrify him. At the turn of the Twentieth Century, in a nation wrestling with faith and science, tradition and change, Chris will be forced to confront his own nature, and learn the meanings of freedom, love, and the grace of God.

©2011 Lars Walker (P)2025 Lars Walker

Historic Magical Realism

Following a malformed young Norwegian at the beginning of the twentieth century, Troll Valley is a quiet story with high interpersonal and internal drama.

Set in a developing farming community in Minnesota, Walker captures the historical realities and hardships of this time period so well I often found myself looking up dates and locations.

While the story feels grounded and realistic, there is a supernatural aspect to the story - the protagonist's (fairy) godmother.

Troll Valley feels like an outlier in Lar Walker's writings. While his other novels and series feature great character development, this book is largely a character piece. The drama comes from our protagonist's experiences and responses to changing times.

I read the novel a few years ago and loved it.
I just finished the audiobook and it is equally excellent.

Narrated by the author, his acting abilities begin to shine (SHINE!) as additional characters appear in the narrative.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction, magical realism, Norwegian history, Norwegian folk tales, and character driven stories will love Troll Valley.