Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir
by Sverrir Sigurdsson with
Veronica Li
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GENRE: Memoir/Autobiography
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BLURB:
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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Excerpt
Two:
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.
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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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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 www.veronicali.com.
Amazon author
page:
https://www.amazon.com/Sverrir-Sigurdsson/e/B08LFYCCPD
https://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Li/e/B001JOSCAQ
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tssigurdsson
https://www.facebook.com/veronica.li.39
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Sverrir_Sigurds
https://twitter.com/VeronicaLi5
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/142534.Veronica_Li
The Book will be $1.99 during
the tour.
Amazon.com buy
link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MDMRM66/
Amazon.ca buy
link: https://www.amazon.ca/Viking-Voyager-Icelandic-Sverrir-Sigurdsson-ebook/dp/B08MDMRM66/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
One randomly chosen winner via
rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
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Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/10/fs-vbt-viking-voyager-by-sverrir.html
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me here to talk about my upbringing in Iceland and traveling the world like my Viking forefathers.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book. I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rita. The cover is an aerial photo of the southernmost area in Iceland where I spent summers working on a farm from age 9-14. Iceland is full of magnificent landscapes like those in the photo. Viking Voyager will take you there!
ReplyDeleteGreat post - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria, it's a pleasure to be here. I try to link my personal experiences with the events of the time. We're all part of something bigger.
ReplyDeleteI love the excerpt and look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry, glad you like the excerpt. Leaving home to study architecture in Finland has changed my life forever. Finland is the launching pad of this Viking Voyager.
ReplyDelete