Recently in the mail, I received a book from Norway entitled, About America: Stories of Faith, Struggle, and Hope among Norwegian Emigrants. This book was sent to me by my second cousin in Norway, Sigrun. Her nephew, Jarle Haktorson, finished translating this book from Norwegian to English in 2025. The book was first published in 1904.
About America was written by Hans Seland, Jarle’s great-grandfather (Sigrun’s grandfather on her mother’s side). Apparently, he was a well-known writer in his day. As stated on the back cover, “Norwegian author Hans Seland traveled across the United States to meet the early emigrants who had left Norway behind in search of a new life. From the crowded streets of New York to the wide prairies of the Midwest, he recorded their voices, their hardships and their hopes for the future.”
It was interesting to read the stories of the emigrants finding their way in America. Having a grandparent emigrate to America is a fairly common story in Minnesota. Many folks have a story to tell about a family member leaving their homeland (typically Norway or Sweden) and finding their way to settle in Minnesota. My own grandfather Torkel, did. He came from Norway in 1907 (after this book was written.)
It was a fun surprise to receive this book in the mail. I am thrilled that, years ago, through my father’s ambitions, we reconnected with our family in Norway and enjoy good relationships with them to this day.
And then…this week I received three more books in the mail.
When my aunt’s friend died in 2020, her family was going through her possessions and found a stack of letters my dad had written to his family during WWII. We did not know the letters existed until then.
My brother, bless his heart, scanned each letter and complied them into Shutterfly books. They filled three volumes. It is wonderful to have these letters in book form for easy access to them.
My dad was a prolific writer. We were reflecting on the large amount number of letters he wrote back home. But then, it was the most common way of communication at that time.
My dad was in the army, serving on a medic team (not a medic himself.) He served in England and France. We have letters he wrote to his parents, his sister and sometimes his brothers. We can glean attributes of my dad from these letters…his humor, his love for his family, and his caring concern for others.
Discovering these letters was a beautiful gift. These books will be treasured.
Books in the mail…how fun is that?