Hush - Donna Jo Napoli

Melkorka is a princess, the first daughter of a magnificent kingdom in medieval Ireland. But all of this is suddenly meaningless when she is kidnapped and taken aboard a Viking slave ship. Thrown into a new and unknown world, amongst people her former country's laws regarded as less than human, Melorka must learn quickly if she is to survive. Taking a vow of silence, however, she finds herself an object of fascination to her captors, and she soon realises that what little power she has may just make a difference.

Based on an ancient Icelandic folktale, this is a heart-breaking story of a young girl who must learn to forget all she knows and carve out a place for herself in a new world - all without speaking a word.