Jon Magnus

The Letter from Minnesota
In the Shadow of the American Dream

A sorrowful letter from America at the bottom of a rose painted wooden chest from a smallholding in Tørdal, Telemark, sent from Kelliher, Minnesota and dated March 18th, 1951. With this old sign of life in hand, the author began searching for answers. What had happened to his great-uncle who left home in Norway in 1904 and who wasn’t heard from for 47 years?

The author takes the reader on a journey from the past through to the present. It starts at the Telemark Canal waterway and goes to North-Dakota, Minnesota and finally California. We meet Eivind and Aaste – Edwin and Esther in their new country – just two among a million Norwegian immigrants pursuing happiness in North-America during the years from 1840 to 1940.

This book presents a vibrant portrait of individuals and their surroundings, while also offering perspectives on today’s migration. It is a story about the urge to venture out into the wider world, and a compelling saga of those Norwegian-Americans who never went home again.