Per, Immigrant & Pioneer

by Palmer Rockswold, E. Palmer Rockswold

Book by Rockswold, Palmer, Rockswold, E. Palmer

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I borrowed from my parents’ bookshelf a while ago, intending to read it to learn more about the era of history in which my paternal grandmother’s family emigrated to the United States from Norway. The main character was based loosely on the author’s own ancestral stories of emigrating from Hadeland, Norway, to Lamoure, North Dakota. Because my own relatives came around the same time period (late 1800s/early 1900s) from Gudbradsdalen, Norway to a rural area of ND north of Cando, I found the topic interesting and engaging. The writing style, dialogue, and flow of the story, however, were less so. I’d consider it a step or two above learning the same information from a textbook or encyclopedia, and I’d rather read a historical narrative than either of those options. So while it didn’t get my highest rating, it was still worth the time spent.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judy lent me this book, which was written by one of her relatives. It tells the story of a Norwegian immigrant who claims a homestead in North Dakota and makes a life there.

I've read a lot of books about pioneer life and this one fits well into the group. Life was hard, but Per and his family didn't suffer every catastrophe possible (some authors seem to feel the need to document every single possible hardship, from drought to locusts to blizzards to loss of a child to native massacre to... you get the idea). Only one detail caught me by surprise. When the community built a church, they needed a lot of resources to build a church barn - when you go to church in a North Dakotan winter, you need shelter for 40 teams of horses!

I noted this passage which seems like it could have been spoken by someone today rather than a century ago:

Teddy Roosevelt should still be the president," grumbled Per. "Big business is ruining the free enterprise in our country."

"I can't understand why people are so dishonest," added Serianna. "Most of them have so much more than they need."

All that Per had read and experienced confirmed his suspicion that men in politics were usually not to be trusted. The main reason for this was that most voters didn't care that much. So long as they were doing all right, most people were too busy with their own affairs to be bothered with political matters, Per felt. Since they were not informed, most voters could easily be fooled by a self serving politician or his clever follower.

Per believed people were being fooled in another way too. They were being prompted to feel patriotic by simple and naive acts, such as standing up at attention before the flag. At the same time they were encouraged to ignore their real responsibility as citizens in a democracy. (208)

By the way, "Per" is pronounced "pear" and is the Norwegian version of the name "Peter." Thanks for lending this to me, Judy!

[Matt Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 4th generational descendant of Per, it was fantastic to read about my bloodline’s immigration to America and homesteading of southeastern North Dakota.

[Arne Teigland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another book that I read too late. Thirty years and more too late. Is that one-room North Dakota schoolhouse mentioned in the book the one that my mother attended? I know that her uncle is mentioned as one of the people who worked for Per, and that Per himself immigrated to the USA from the same community in Norway where Mom was born, but was that her schoolhouse? I don't know and probably never will. But reading a book with characters so "close to home" was a thrill. Few others will have the same response, I'm sure. It would still be a good book for getting a grasp on what life was like in the 1880's North Dakota community of Norwegians, a life that was surely more difficult than what she faced as a four-year-old arriving 20 years later.