This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Stephan G. Stephansson (October 3, 1853 – August 10, 1927) was an Icelandic Canadian, poet, and farmer. His original name was Stefán Guðmundur Guðmundsson.
He was born in Skagafjörður, Iceland but emigrated to Wisconsin, USA in 1873, at age 19. In 1889 he moved to Markerville, Red Deer County, Alberta, Canada. He did not see Iceland again until 1917, when he was 64 years old.
Stephan was self-educated and worked hard all his life. He wrote after work, and, being an insomniac, he often wrote till dawn. He was under the influence of the American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson and they shared the same beliefs in many matters, including, but not limited to, equal rights for men and women. Stephan wrote only in Icelandic and had great influence in his former home country.
His poems were published in a six volume book called "Andvökur" (Sleepless Nights).
His letters and essays were published in four volumes, and even if nothing of his poetry had survived, those would have been enough to single him out as one of Iceland's foremost men of letters.
His homestead near Markerville is an Alberta Provincial Historic Site. It has been restored and is open to the public from May 15 until August 31.
Wow I found that this book definitely suits the saying “saving the best for last.” There are eight chapters in the book. I found the first three chapters to be so-so. I absolutely adored chapters four, five, six, seven; which spoke about Stephansson’s philosophy, belief, and pacifism. I feel as though this book would be the most interesting for someone who lives in Alberta, Canada or Iceland. Being an Albertan myself I found it to be intriguing to see Alberta through the eyes of an immigrant during the late 19th century. I would give this book a rating of 3.5 stars if possible. A pleasant read.