Explore Charles Johnston books at New West Press.

Charles Johnston's Our Little Viking Cousin imagines a young person's life during the age of Viking travel and exploration. Biarne Herjulfson's story brings sea journeys and distant settlements into a child's field of experience, connecting adventure with the routines and expectations of an earlier society. This collection centers on the historical story, which moves within the world associated with Greenland and the voyages toward North America. Readers can consider how the choice of a youthful central character makes questions of place, travel, courage, and belonging easier to follow through particular events.

Historical fiction offers a way to encounter an earlier world through the experiences of individual characters. These stories invite discussion of how private loyalties intersect with public events, and how a novelist makes the past feel immediate. Reading alongside a timeline or historical account can help separate invented episodes from documented events while preserving the pleasure of the narrative itself.