Thorstein of the Mere: A Saga of the Northmen in Lakeland by William Gershom Collingwood (1854 – 1932)

A fine adventure set in 10th-century England at a time when everyday life in north was made hazardous by wars and shifting alliances among Saxon, British and Norse rulers. Thorstein, like his father Swein before him, is a peaceful Norse settler but brave and ready for battle when the time comes. His adventures as child and man will appeal to younger listeners, while older listeners can enjoy a history lesson into the bargain. W. G. Collingwood, artist and antiquarian, set the story in his adopted home of the Lake District, placing Thorstein’s settlement at Greenodd on the southern shores of Cumbria and much of the action among the densely forested valleys and open moorland heights to the north – a much wilder region then than it is today. (Summary by Phil Benson)