The Viking Blood

This book is a fictional depiction of the comming of age of a Scots boy sent to sea at the age of 13. For those familiar with the work of George MacDonald, a writer of fiction for young people in the later half of the 19th century, the theme of this book will seem familiar. The greatest departure from MacDonald is the vividness and authenticity of the descriptions of life at sea on various types of sailing ships. This should not be surprising as Wallace apparently is writing from personal experience. This surmise is based on the extent of his non fiction work listed in the present bibliography. There are two transits of Cape Horn and many coasting and fishing voyages depicted that bring our young protaganist from the age of 13 to 21. One never knows till the very end whether the protagonist will survive. In this story one expects that Donald McKenzie will survive. This expectation does not lessen the suspense as to how he will survive each desperate situation.