In Their Own Words

Letters from Norwegian Immigrants

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Emigration & Immigration
Cover of the book In Their Own Words by , University of Minnesota Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781452903101
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press Publication: November 30, 2013
Imprint: Univ Of Minnesota Press Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781452903101
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
Publication: November 30, 2013
Imprint: Univ Of Minnesota Press
Language: English

For most Norwegians in the nineteenth century, America was a remote and exotic place until the first immigrants began to write home. Their letters were among the most valuable, accessible, and reliable sources of information about the new world and the journey to it. For many immigrants, writing letters home was their most cherished opportunity to communicate their thoughts and feelings in their native language.

Through vivid translations of letters written to family and friends between 1870 and 1945, In Their Own Words traces the stories of nine Norwegian immigrants: farmer, fisherman, gold miner, politician, unmarried mother, housewife, businessman, railroad worker, contractor. Their common bond was the experience of immigration and acculturation, but their individual experiences were manifested in a wide variety of forms.

Solveig Zempel has thoughtfully selected and translated letters rich in personal description and observation to present each writer’s subjective view of historical events. Often focusing on the minutiae of daily life and the feelings of the individual immigrant, the letters form a complex, intimate, and colorful mosaic of the immigrant world.

Solveig Zempel is chair of the Norwegian Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For most Norwegians in the nineteenth century, America was a remote and exotic place until the first immigrants began to write home. Their letters were among the most valuable, accessible, and reliable sources of information about the new world and the journey to it. For many immigrants, writing letters home was their most cherished opportunity to communicate their thoughts and feelings in their native language.

Through vivid translations of letters written to family and friends between 1870 and 1945, In Their Own Words traces the stories of nine Norwegian immigrants: farmer, fisherman, gold miner, politician, unmarried mother, housewife, businessman, railroad worker, contractor. Their common bond was the experience of immigration and acculturation, but their individual experiences were manifested in a wide variety of forms.

Solveig Zempel has thoughtfully selected and translated letters rich in personal description and observation to present each writer’s subjective view of historical events. Often focusing on the minutiae of daily life and the feelings of the individual immigrant, the letters form a complex, intimate, and colorful mosaic of the immigrant world.

Solveig Zempel is chair of the Norwegian Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

More books from University of Minnesota Press

Cover of the book Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams by
Cover of the book Superhumanity by
Cover of the book Badiou by
Cover of the book Foucault on Painting by
Cover of the book Dead Letters Sent by
Cover of the book Bioaesthetics by
Cover of the book The Tropics Bite Back by
Cover of the book Militarizing the Environment by
Cover of the book Wild Child by
Cover of the book Why We Left by
Cover of the book Laruelle by
Cover of the book Gaming at the Edge by
Cover of the book Land of 10,000 Loves by
Cover of the book The Imperial University by
Cover of the book Tongzhi Living by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy