Assessment:

Plot: In this story of the mid-nineteenth century immigrant experience, Inga Johannson emigrates from Norway to Minnesota with her parents and siblings Sophia and Karl. Inga has had to leave behind her fiancé Erik Norskaag, by whom she is pregnant. Several surprises in the plot lead to an unexpected conclusion that is much more frenetic than is justified by the very slow pace of the earlier part of the saga. An epilogue tells the reader the fates of most of the characters, as their stories are not resolved when the novel ends.

Prose/Style: The dialogue feels formal and stilted, while in the descriptions of the setting and action the author tries to mimic nineteenth-century language.

Originality: Nona Burroughs Babcock has thoroughly researched both sea crossing and the situation and customs of Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota under the terms of the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted 160 acres of land to those who would work it and from that perspective the story will be of interest to readers of historical fiction.

Character Development/Execution: Inga is the main character here, but the most interesting characters are George and Tomaas. It is their relationship that develops as the story moves forward, while Inga and most of the other characters simply react to events.

Date Submitted: August 25, 2021