singing voice. They were jealous about her making up a song about Snarf so they plead with Hekja to make a song about them. One day, whilst still up the mountain, Hekja sees strange ships approaching from the distance. At the protests of the other girls, she runs back down to the village, only to see the Viking raiders murdering the village people, including Hekja's mother and the boy she used to love, Bran. Hekja tries to outrun the invaders, but is captured by a woman called Freydis, who is Erik the Red's daughter, and consequently is taken away as a slave. Hekja hates the Norse and will not share her singing with them, even if it meant that she would not have to mind the cows as a thrall, if they were to hear her sing. She had told one of the Norsemen, Snorri, when he heard her sing that she did not want anybody to know that she can sing because everything has been taken away from her and that if they heard her sing they would take that away from her too. Hekja's spirit and sheer determination means that she soon finds herself joining her mistress Freydis' expedition to Vinland. Hekja befriends Freydis' brother's thrall, Hikki, and he is the only one she will sing to. They develop a firm friendship. Upon arriving at Vinland, they find the place beautiful and welcoming. Vinland winters are so mild that the cattle can be left out all year round. Freydis and several other women in the colony are pregnant. Hikki proposes to Hekja in due course. Hekja is taken aback, but tells him to wait until she has finished serving her mistress in two years time even though she doesn't love him herself. Freydis also adopts Hekja and is now Hekja's mother. There is another who is also after Hekja's heart however: the mysterious Snorri the Skald. He seems to like Hekja, but refrains from letting on. Hikki dies in the Viking's Skraeling raid while Snorri is wounded, and after about two months, Hekja marries Snorri the Skald and they are very happy together. Awards and nominations Won – West Australian Young Readers' Book Award: Younger Readers (2007) Shortlisted – Essex Book Award (UK) Shortlisted – NSW Premier's History Awards: The Young People's History Prize (2006) 2005 Australian novels 2005 children's books Novels by Jackie French Children's historical novels