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The Emigrants #4
The Last Letter Home
Considered one of Sweden's greatest 20th-century writers, Vilhelm Moberg created the characters Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson to portray the joys and tragedies of daily life for early Swedish immigrants in America. His consistently faithful depiction of these humble people's lives is a major strength of the Emigrant Novels.
Moberg's extensive research in the papers of Swedish emigrants in archival collections enabled him to incorporate many details of pioneer life. First published between 1949 and 1959 in Swedish, these four books were considered a single work by Moberg, who intended that they be read as documentary novels. These reprint editions contain introductions written by Roger McKnight of Gustavus Adolphus College, and they restore Moberg's bibliography not included in earlier English editions.
The fourth and final book in the series, The Last Letter Home portrays the Nilsson family during the turmoil of living through the era of the Civil War and Dakota Conflict and their prospering in the midst of Minnesota's growing Swedish community of the 1860s-90s.
The other books in the series— The Emigrants (I), Unto a Good Land (II), and The Settlers (III)—are also available from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Moberg's extensive research in the papers of Swedish emigrants in archival collections enabled him to incorporate many details of pioneer life. First published between 1949 and 1959 in Swedish, these four books were considered a single work by Moberg, who intended that they be read as documentary novels. These reprint editions contain introductions written by Roger McKnight of Gustavus Adolphus College, and they restore Moberg's bibliography not included in earlier English editions.
The fourth and final book in the series, The Last Letter Home portrays the Nilsson family during the turmoil of living through the era of the Civil War and Dakota Conflict and their prospering in the midst of Minnesota's growing Swedish community of the 1860s-90s.
The other books in the series— The Emigrants (I), Unto a Good Land (II), and The Settlers (III)—are also available from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
230 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
58 people are currently reading
1862 people want to read
About the author
Vilhelm Moberg
177 books207 followersVilhelm Moberg was a Swedish journalist, author, playwright, historian, and debater best known for his Emigrant series of novels about Swedish emigrants to America. He also wrote other novels and plays and also participated in public debates about the Swedish monarchy, bureaucracy, and corruption. Among other works are Raskens (1927) and Ride This Night (1941), a historical novel of a 17th-century rebellion in Småland acknowledged for its subliminal but widely recognised criticism against the Hitler regime.
A noted public intellectual and debater in Sweden, he was noted for very vocal criticism of the Swedish monarchy (most notably after the Haijby affair), likening it with a servile government by divine mandate, and publicly supporting its replacement with a Swiss-style confederal republic. He spoke out aggressively against the policies of Nazi Germany, the Greek military junta, and the Soviet Union, and his works were among those destroyed in Nazi book burnings. In 1971, he scolded Prime Minister Olof Palme for refusing to offer the Nobel Prize in Literature to its recipient Alexander Solzhenitsyn – who was refused permission to attend the ceremony in Stockholm – through the Swedish embassy in Moscow.
A noted public intellectual and debater in Sweden, he was noted for very vocal criticism of the Swedish monarchy (most notably after the Haijby affair), likening it with a servile government by divine mandate, and publicly supporting its replacement with a Swiss-style confederal republic. He spoke out aggressively against the policies of Nazi Germany, the Greek military junta, and the Soviet Union, and his works were among those destroyed in Nazi book burnings. In 1971, he scolded Prime Minister Olof Palme for refusing to offer the Nobel Prize in Literature to its recipient Alexander Solzhenitsyn – who was refused permission to attend the ceremony in Stockholm – through the Swedish embassy in Moscow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
August 18, 2019
This is the fourth, and last, of the Emigrant series. From 1850, when this group left Sweden, they crossed an ocean, crossed half a continent to get to Minnesota, found land, built homes, planted crops, formed a community dealt with Indians and wild animals and terrible weather - til 1890 and the death of Karl Oscar; what a story! Anyone wishing to get some idea of the emigrants who helped settle this nation and what they endured should read these books. I am sorry to leave them behind, but enjoyed every word, and feel like a better person myself from having followed their story.
January 29, 2021
They changed the land – and the land changed them.
******
Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) is considered the greatest Swedish writer of the 20th century and is best known for his four novels about a group of Swedish settlers who emigrated to America in 1850. These emigrants were among the almost million Swedish people, including a number of Moberg’s relatives, who left their homeland in an effort to better their lot in life.
I delayed reading this, the last book in the series, The Last Letter Home (1959), because I wasn’t ready to leave the settlers until now. But having read about their struggles in Sweden, their horrendous voyage to America, the long overland trip to the Minnesota Territory, it was a relief to read that the Nilsson family, through hard work and the sweat of their brow, were able to enjoy a level of prosperity that they could never have enjoyed or even envisioned in Sweden.
This doesn’t mean that Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson were able to rest on their laurels; far from it. Their prosperity could only be maintained by continued toil and diligence. It was still a hard life for Karl Oskar, but even more so for Kristina, because in addition to her household, child care, and gardening duties, her pregnancies occurred with unceasing regularity.
Then in the 1860s the nation went to war with itself. The Civil War did not touch the Swedish settlers directly, but another war fought during the same years exerted a dramatic impact on their lives.
It is more than ironic that Moberg’s Swedish settlers were successful in freeing themselves from the oppressive class system that had characterized their homeland, but were only able to do so at the expense of the people who preceded them in their new home, and who themselves were being oppressed by the government.
This unfortunate chapter in Minnesota’s history is one that has been repeated in every state in the nation. That history of course is the displacement of indigenous people.
Minnesota had been the traditional homeland and hunting ground of the Woodland Sioux (Dakota) tribe. Through treaty they had been restricted to a narrow reservation along the Minnesota River. They had been promised annuities that would allow them to purchase food from the Indian agencies or private traders. The government was slow to deliver the annuities and crooked agents and traders combined to cheat the Dakota when the tardy annuities finally arrived.
During the Civil War the lid blew off as the Dakotas went on the warpath. Eventually they were forced to surrender to volunteer troops. Some 400 trials were held by the military, some lasting only a few minutes, without legal defense for the accused. The outcome was that 303 defendants were convicted and sentenced to be executed.
President Lincoln commuted the sentences of all but thirty-eight of the Dakota tribesmen. Those who avoided execution did not go free, however, but were imprisoned.
The army executed the thirty-eight by hanging from the same scaffold in what was the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
Moberg identified with the Swedish settlers. He shared their grievances and he sympathized with their efforts to improve their lives in their new home. To his credit, despite this well-placed admiration for the settlers, he does not sugarcoat the unconscionable treatment that the Dakotas received. After all, they also had well-grounded grievances that he recognized and as a conscientious researcher he dug into the official record, and he reported the facts.
The title of this final book, The Last Letter Home, ends with that very thing. Over the years Karl Oskar had written letters to his parents and his sister in Sweden. But he did not write the last letter. It was written in 1890 by a neighbor to inform Karl Oskar’s sister that he had died.
******
Thanks once again, Diane
******
Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) is considered the greatest Swedish writer of the 20th century and is best known for his four novels about a group of Swedish settlers who emigrated to America in 1850. These emigrants were among the almost million Swedish people, including a number of Moberg’s relatives, who left their homeland in an effort to better their lot in life.
I delayed reading this, the last book in the series, The Last Letter Home (1959), because I wasn’t ready to leave the settlers until now. But having read about their struggles in Sweden, their horrendous voyage to America, the long overland trip to the Minnesota Territory, it was a relief to read that the Nilsson family, through hard work and the sweat of their brow, were able to enjoy a level of prosperity that they could never have enjoyed or even envisioned in Sweden.
This doesn’t mean that Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson were able to rest on their laurels; far from it. Their prosperity could only be maintained by continued toil and diligence. It was still a hard life for Karl Oskar, but even more so for Kristina, because in addition to her household, child care, and gardening duties, her pregnancies occurred with unceasing regularity.
Then in the 1860s the nation went to war with itself. The Civil War did not touch the Swedish settlers directly, but another war fought during the same years exerted a dramatic impact on their lives.
It is more than ironic that Moberg’s Swedish settlers were successful in freeing themselves from the oppressive class system that had characterized their homeland, but were only able to do so at the expense of the people who preceded them in their new home, and who themselves were being oppressed by the government.
This unfortunate chapter in Minnesota’s history is one that has been repeated in every state in the nation. That history of course is the displacement of indigenous people.
Minnesota had been the traditional homeland and hunting ground of the Woodland Sioux (Dakota) tribe. Through treaty they had been restricted to a narrow reservation along the Minnesota River. They had been promised annuities that would allow them to purchase food from the Indian agencies or private traders. The government was slow to deliver the annuities and crooked agents and traders combined to cheat the Dakota when the tardy annuities finally arrived.
During the Civil War the lid blew off as the Dakotas went on the warpath. Eventually they were forced to surrender to volunteer troops. Some 400 trials were held by the military, some lasting only a few minutes, without legal defense for the accused. The outcome was that 303 defendants were convicted and sentenced to be executed.
President Lincoln commuted the sentences of all but thirty-eight of the Dakota tribesmen. Those who avoided execution did not go free, however, but were imprisoned.
The army executed the thirty-eight by hanging from the same scaffold in what was the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
Moberg identified with the Swedish settlers. He shared their grievances and he sympathized with their efforts to improve their lives in their new home. To his credit, despite this well-placed admiration for the settlers, he does not sugarcoat the unconscionable treatment that the Dakotas received. After all, they also had well-grounded grievances that he recognized and as a conscientious researcher he dug into the official record, and he reported the facts.
The title of this final book, The Last Letter Home, ends with that very thing. Over the years Karl Oskar had written letters to his parents and his sister in Sweden. But he did not write the last letter. It was written in 1890 by a neighbor to inform Karl Oskar’s sister that he had died.
******
Thanks once again, Diane
September 13, 2014
We had to go and leave our homes
Some died young, some died old,
The road was long but our hearts were strong - no sorry, wait, that's the Kelly Family.
I would like to quote from the musical Kristina från Duvemåla, but I haven't heard it yet - it's on my to do list. Definitely is now, after reading this book. I'm sure Benny and Bjorn have done it justice.
Speaking of music inspired by this book, you should check out the song by Ultima Thule called Sista brevet hem, which is a beautiful ballad about Kristina regaining her homeland in death. (make that the only song you check out by this band, though ;p)
There's also the movie with Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman and there's the iconic statue of Karl Oskar and Kristina, where he looks straight ahead towards the new land and she looks back, towards her home she'll be missing all her life.
So, you see, the reputation of this book preceded it, for me.
I've reached the end of this 3-volume journey with mixed feelings - happy to have finally added it to my 'books I love' list and sad because it's over - I would have gladly read through more volumes, detailing the lives of Karl Oskar and Kristina's children and grandchildren.
I personally love this kind of book, but for the people that might not, I'm gonna say that the book's greatest achievement was bringing vibrant life to all its characters and presenting important events in an engaging manner, even as no detail was spared for what some might call insignificant or boring matters, like for instance the chores of every-day life (which I loved reading about, by the way). It's gonna make you laugh at times, and at other times, yes - it's gonna coax tears out of you, I kid you not. At times - and this is something I've noticed with Scandinavian writers - the reader is shocked out of their complacency by a violent event - which is described with such raw power that it throws your complacency out the window and steps on it viciously.
Some characters you may feel a strong dislike for, at the beginning - like I did for Ulrika and Danjel - only to feel the author chastise me from beyond the grave by subtly letting me know I was being intolerant and judging people too harshly, because this is life and its people in all their complexity, and one may laugh at their idiosyncrasies and be annoyed by some of their traits, but in the end, that's them and this is it.
Actually, I think the main reason why I disliked Ulrika at first was because Kristina did herself. And like Kristina, I then changed my mind. Most of the book is from Kristina's point of view and when I realized she was going to die, it occurred to me that the rest of the book would feel empty without her. And it did, at least to me. I'm curious if that happened to anyone else, or if that was really the author's intention.In any case, I need to find a place for Kristina now in my list of top 10 favourite characters. Also, her relationship with Karl Oskar is one of the most beautiful and realistic love stories in literature. Sure, it lacks the 'adversity' and 'conflict' and the 'let me worship you down to your little toe' typical to what people call great love stories, but when I think about the veracity of it, my heart breaks. These two are taking the word 'marriage' at its word - they are walking all roads of their lives together, they share everything, they trust and rely on each other - and they want each other as much as they did when they were hormonal teenagers :) , in fact so much that - no, that's one spoiler I won't give away.
I recommend this book to everyone - if you don't like it, then you ain't no friend of mine ;)
Some died young, some died old,
The road was long but our hearts were strong - no sorry, wait, that's the Kelly Family.
I would like to quote from the musical Kristina från Duvemåla, but I haven't heard it yet - it's on my to do list. Definitely is now, after reading this book. I'm sure Benny and Bjorn have done it justice.
Speaking of music inspired by this book, you should check out the song by Ultima Thule called Sista brevet hem, which is a beautiful ballad about Kristina regaining her homeland in death. (make that the only song you check out by this band, though ;p)
There's also the movie with Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman and there's the iconic statue of Karl Oskar and Kristina, where he looks straight ahead towards the new land and she looks back, towards her home she'll be missing all her life.
So, you see, the reputation of this book preceded it, for me.
I've reached the end of this 3-volume journey with mixed feelings - happy to have finally added it to my 'books I love' list and sad because it's over - I would have gladly read through more volumes, detailing the lives of Karl Oskar and Kristina's children and grandchildren.
I personally love this kind of book, but for the people that might not, I'm gonna say that the book's greatest achievement was bringing vibrant life to all its characters and presenting important events in an engaging manner, even as no detail was spared for what some might call insignificant or boring matters, like for instance the chores of every-day life (which I loved reading about, by the way). It's gonna make you laugh at times, and at other times, yes - it's gonna coax tears out of you, I kid you not. At times - and this is something I've noticed with Scandinavian writers - the reader is shocked out of their complacency by a violent event - which is described with such raw power that it throws your complacency out the window and steps on it viciously.
Some characters you may feel a strong dislike for, at the beginning - like I did for Ulrika and Danjel - only to feel the author chastise me from beyond the grave by subtly letting me know I was being intolerant and judging people too harshly, because this is life and its people in all their complexity, and one may laugh at their idiosyncrasies and be annoyed by some of their traits, but in the end, that's them and this is it.
Actually, I think the main reason why I disliked Ulrika at first was because Kristina did herself. And like Kristina, I then changed my mind. Most of the book is from Kristina's point of view and when I realized she was going to die, it occurred to me that the rest of the book would feel empty without her. And it did, at least to me. I'm curious if that happened to anyone else, or if that was really the author's intention.In any case, I need to find a place for Kristina now in my list of top 10 favourite characters. Also, her relationship with Karl Oskar is one of the most beautiful and realistic love stories in literature. Sure, it lacks the 'adversity' and 'conflict' and the 'let me worship you down to your little toe' typical to what people call great love stories, but when I think about the veracity of it, my heart breaks. These two are taking the word 'marriage' at its word - they are walking all roads of their lives together, they share everything, they trust and rely on each other - and they want each other as much as they did when they were hormonal teenagers :) , in fact so much that - no, that's one spoiler I won't give away.
I recommend this book to everyone - if you don't like it, then you ain't no friend of mine ;)
January 6, 2014
Here is the 4th and final volume of the wonderful documentary fiction Emigrant Novels by Vilhelm Moberg, translated by Gustaf Lannestock (THE EMIGRANTS (1), UNTO A GOOD LAND (2), THE SETTLERS (3), and THE LAST LETTER HOME (4).
My five stars reflects the totality of the series. I do not have Swedish heritage, nor can I read Swedish, so I very much appreciate having these books translated into English. The copyright for the Lannestock translation of THE LAST LETTER HOME is 1961; the book was first published in Swedish in 1959.
Caution: WAIT until after finishing the story about Karl Oscar and Kristina Nilsson before reading the four, interesting supplementary materials that appear in the front of the book (at least, in my version): Introduction to the Emigrant Novels ix; Introduction to The Last Letter Home xxi; Bibliography for the Emigrant Novels xxvii; and Suggested Readings in English xxix.
Note: The PREFACE "The Country That Changed Them" xxxi is fine to read first. It begins thusly:
"This is the last installment of a story about a group of people who left their homes in Ljuder parish, Sweden, and emigrated to North America. These immigrants settled in the St. Croix Valley of Minnesota, in the land of the Chippewas and the Sioux. It was a wild-growing region, never before touched by ax or plow."
The final book follows Karl Oscar and Kristina Nilsson in Minnesota during the time of the Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862 and the years beyond--- until both have died, and the relatives in Sweden receive the news in the last letter home.
.............
I have also pasted my comments from THE EMIGRANTS (1) and UNTO A GOOD LAND (2) below.
.............
Who is Vilhelm Moberg? He is a person I would very much like to thank for his gift of this classic 1951 first-in-the-series book of historical fiction THE EMIGRANTS, translated from the Swedish by Gustaf Lannestock. Moberg grew up in Sweden hearing first-hand the stories of those who emigrated to the United States and then, after undertaking much careful research, has provided us with this insightful treasure. Moberg's prose in translation is not especially elegant, but the impact of the content more than compensates for the somewhat stodgy, straightforward language.
In particular, Moberg communicates a vivid, historically-based image of the stresses of farm and village life in Sweden in the 1850s as well as providing an insightful look at the feelings, thoughts, and motivations of a range of characters who end up on one ship, headed for the young United States. Moberg introduces us to people, men and women, old and young, literate and illiterate, and makes us feel their ignorance, desperation, and yearning.
He portrays the precariousness of an existence marked by unrelenting hard work that cannot truly guard against hunger or financial calamity. A spike in population leads to land divisions, until there is no further division possible, and youngsters end up being legally bound out for years as poorly paid laborers by even caring parents to masters who may be stingy and harsh. Add in the vagaries of nature, limited educational options, deep uncertainty about the future, the strangling impact of debt, and an inflexible social and religious system. Suddenly, the burden of embarking on a costly, unpleasant, and dangerous sea journey emerges as almost logical.
In this first volume, the story finishes with the sea voyage coming to an end for key characters Karl Oskar and wife Kristina, along with the other survivors of the unpleasant Atlantic crossing.
...............
The second of Moberg's four book series on 19th century emigration from Sweden to Minnesota UNTO A GOOD LAND continues to be fascinating. The author follows various characters, among them illiterate or barely literate peasants from Smaland who have left Sweden and traveled in 1850 to America to settle.
Early on in this Volume (2), Karl Oskar (a key figure), Kristina, Robert, Arvid, Danjel, Ulrika,and the others are caught in red tape in the harbor of New York for a few days before they undertake the slow westward journey together.
Once again, as I noted about Book 1, Moberg reveals the thought-processes of the illiterate Arvid and his highly imaginative, youthful friend Robert, whose ability to read is not always accompanied by judicious reasoning or correct interpretations. The dynamic duo provide brief moments of humor -- their encounter with a "corpse" as they walk around New York for the very first time and their alligator conversation are two sections not to be missed.
More importantly, the depiction of the challenges endured by Karl Oskar elicits empathic wonder interspersed with groans mixed in with respect. The author lets us see our characters who must forge ahead making vital decisions without sufficient knowledge or context in which to decide.
We see how close disaster lurks for each, how strangers, fellow emigrants, personal resources and individual natures help and/or hinder their settlement. We watch them stumble into a future with only a vague sense of how ill-prepared, ignorant, vulnerable, and desperate their situation is or could be, secretly cheering when various obstacles are overcome, lamenting when they are not, quivering with their uncertainties.
We see their yearnings, and this glimpse into their hearts helps us see what sustains them, how they cope with building shelter and providing food necessary for survival in a strange, new land where language, custom, and nature are all mysteries.
It is hard to imagine readers not rooting for Karl Oskar to succeed, yet all the while trembling on his behalf.
.....
My five stars reflects the totality of the series. I do not have Swedish heritage, nor can I read Swedish, so I very much appreciate having these books translated into English. The copyright for the Lannestock translation of THE LAST LETTER HOME is 1961; the book was first published in Swedish in 1959.
Caution: WAIT until after finishing the story about Karl Oscar and Kristina Nilsson before reading the four, interesting supplementary materials that appear in the front of the book (at least, in my version): Introduction to the Emigrant Novels ix; Introduction to The Last Letter Home xxi; Bibliography for the Emigrant Novels xxvii; and Suggested Readings in English xxix.
Note: The PREFACE "The Country That Changed Them" xxxi is fine to read first. It begins thusly:
"This is the last installment of a story about a group of people who left their homes in Ljuder parish, Sweden, and emigrated to North America. These immigrants settled in the St. Croix Valley of Minnesota, in the land of the Chippewas and the Sioux. It was a wild-growing region, never before touched by ax or plow."
The final book follows Karl Oscar and Kristina Nilsson in Minnesota during the time of the Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862 and the years beyond--- until both have died, and the relatives in Sweden receive the news in the last letter home.
.............
I have also pasted my comments from THE EMIGRANTS (1) and UNTO A GOOD LAND (2) below.
.............
Who is Vilhelm Moberg? He is a person I would very much like to thank for his gift of this classic 1951 first-in-the-series book of historical fiction THE EMIGRANTS, translated from the Swedish by Gustaf Lannestock. Moberg grew up in Sweden hearing first-hand the stories of those who emigrated to the United States and then, after undertaking much careful research, has provided us with this insightful treasure. Moberg's prose in translation is not especially elegant, but the impact of the content more than compensates for the somewhat stodgy, straightforward language.
In particular, Moberg communicates a vivid, historically-based image of the stresses of farm and village life in Sweden in the 1850s as well as providing an insightful look at the feelings, thoughts, and motivations of a range of characters who end up on one ship, headed for the young United States. Moberg introduces us to people, men and women, old and young, literate and illiterate, and makes us feel their ignorance, desperation, and yearning.
He portrays the precariousness of an existence marked by unrelenting hard work that cannot truly guard against hunger or financial calamity. A spike in population leads to land divisions, until there is no further division possible, and youngsters end up being legally bound out for years as poorly paid laborers by even caring parents to masters who may be stingy and harsh. Add in the vagaries of nature, limited educational options, deep uncertainty about the future, the strangling impact of debt, and an inflexible social and religious system. Suddenly, the burden of embarking on a costly, unpleasant, and dangerous sea journey emerges as almost logical.
In this first volume, the story finishes with the sea voyage coming to an end for key characters Karl Oskar and wife Kristina, along with the other survivors of the unpleasant Atlantic crossing.
...............
The second of Moberg's four book series on 19th century emigration from Sweden to Minnesota UNTO A GOOD LAND continues to be fascinating. The author follows various characters, among them illiterate or barely literate peasants from Smaland who have left Sweden and traveled in 1850 to America to settle.
Early on in this Volume (2), Karl Oskar (a key figure), Kristina, Robert, Arvid, Danjel, Ulrika,and the others are caught in red tape in the harbor of New York for a few days before they undertake the slow westward journey together.
Once again, as I noted about Book 1, Moberg reveals the thought-processes of the illiterate Arvid and his highly imaginative, youthful friend Robert, whose ability to read is not always accompanied by judicious reasoning or correct interpretations. The dynamic duo provide brief moments of humor -- their encounter with a "corpse" as they walk around New York for the very first time and their alligator conversation are two sections not to be missed.
More importantly, the depiction of the challenges endured by Karl Oskar elicits empathic wonder interspersed with groans mixed in with respect. The author lets us see our characters who must forge ahead making vital decisions without sufficient knowledge or context in which to decide.
We see how close disaster lurks for each, how strangers, fellow emigrants, personal resources and individual natures help and/or hinder their settlement. We watch them stumble into a future with only a vague sense of how ill-prepared, ignorant, vulnerable, and desperate their situation is or could be, secretly cheering when various obstacles are overcome, lamenting when they are not, quivering with their uncertainties.
We see their yearnings, and this glimpse into their hearts helps us see what sustains them, how they cope with building shelter and providing food necessary for survival in a strange, new land where language, custom, and nature are all mysteries.
It is hard to imagine readers not rooting for Karl Oskar to succeed, yet all the while trembling on his behalf.
.....
March 30, 2016
När jag läste Jens Liljestrands förord till boken sjönk mina förväntningar dramatiskt. Jag hade hållit på boken länge och gottat mig åt att få återvända till denna härliga serie. Men han säljer den inte särskilt bra. Boken låter skittråkig, rent ut sagt.
Det är den inte som tur är. Att han avslöjar i princip samtliga viktiga händelser i boken i sitt förord irriterade mig, men jag hade inte räknat med det emotionella kapital jag har investerat i den här berättelsen. Att i förordet läsa att Kristina kommer att insjukna är något helt annat än att “vara med när det händer” i texten, för att ge ett exempel.
Det är ju ingen spoiler att Kristina och Karl-Oskar dör, det gör alla människor. Och trots att jag visste det började jag gråta vid deras dödsbäddar. Det var som att förlora två gamla släktingar.
Det är den inte som tur är. Att han avslöjar i princip samtliga viktiga händelser i boken i sitt förord irriterade mig, men jag hade inte räknat med det emotionella kapital jag har investerat i den här berättelsen. Att i förordet läsa att Kristina kommer att insjukna är något helt annat än att “vara med när det händer” i texten, för att ge ett exempel.
Det är ju ingen spoiler att Kristina och Karl-Oskar dör, det gör alla människor. Och trots att jag visste det började jag gråta vid deras dödsbäddar. Det var som att förlora två gamla släktingar.
February 9, 2025
Konstant lipande under de 50 sista sidorna, och några gånger innan dess också. Ett mästerverk är vad det är!
November 17, 2020
Being an immigrant from Europe to the North American continent, this series of books have meant so much to me. The story was very realistic and the thoughts and feelings of the emigrants I could relate to fully. These are books to not only read but to own and re-read again. I loved the whole series.
April 6, 2021
Vilken fantastisk skatt denna bokserie är! Oerhört att jag gått tolv år i "grundskolan", varav tre år på pluggymnasium, utan att någon förväntat sig att jag skulle läsa dessa böcker. (Och detsamma gäller för övrigt Fogelströms stadserie som jag läste först förra våren.)
June 16, 2023
Spoilers incoming (även om man kanske kan förutsätta att en sådan klassiker inte kan spoilas MEN det hände mig så.)
Jag grät när jag började serien och jag grät när den slutade. Eftersom min mamma avslöjade att Kristina skulle dö innan jag ens började läsa så har jag konstant väntat på att det ska ske. När det väl skedde, flera hundra sidor senare, grät jag okontrollerat på en strand i Grekland.
Det är Kristina som biter sig fast. Ödet i att utvandra till ett annat land och inte kunna göra sig förstådd, inte riktigt höra hemma och värst av allt: vetskapen om att hon aldrig kommer få se sin familj igen. Hennes saknad skär i mig och i den här sista boken tycker jag hon tar över allt. Innan har jag brytt mig om de andra men nu bryr jag mig bara om henne.
Det är ett mästerverk. Det kan påverkas av att Småland är mig nära. De mörka sjöarna. Skogarna som aldrig slutar. Stenen vi ska bryta. I sommar vill jag åka till Ljuder. Det ligger ju nära. Om jag någon gång får en trädgård vill jag ha ett äppelträd med astrakan. Rimligt att jag gråter igen när jag återigen måste lämna dem.
Jag grät när jag började serien och jag grät när den slutade. Eftersom min mamma avslöjade att Kristina skulle dö innan jag ens började läsa så har jag konstant väntat på att det ska ske. När det väl skedde, flera hundra sidor senare, grät jag okontrollerat på en strand i Grekland.
Det är Kristina som biter sig fast. Ödet i att utvandra till ett annat land och inte kunna göra sig förstådd, inte riktigt höra hemma och värst av allt: vetskapen om att hon aldrig kommer få se sin familj igen. Hennes saknad skär i mig och i den här sista boken tycker jag hon tar över allt. Innan har jag brytt mig om de andra men nu bryr jag mig bara om henne.
Det är ett mästerverk. Det kan påverkas av att Småland är mig nära. De mörka sjöarna. Skogarna som aldrig slutar. Stenen vi ska bryta. I sommar vill jag åka till Ljuder. Det ligger ju nära. Om jag någon gång får en trädgård vill jag ha ett äppelträd med astrakan. Rimligt att jag gråter igen när jag återigen måste lämna dem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2011
Quite different from the others, but very well done. I really enjoyed how the end was slow, as it was so appropriate. The first book of the series was fast-paced and all over the place, meant to be like youth. This book was slow and steady, often repeating things and meant to represent old age and the end of life. It was beautiful and poignant and touching and something I think I would enjoy again later in my life.
July 24, 2019
Har svårt att förklara hur starkt jag känner för den här serien. Jag har varit så investerad i karaktärerna och deras liv att det känns fruktansvärt tråkigt att behöva säga hejdå. Men jag är övertygad om att jag kommer läsa om den flera gånger i framtiden. Och nu ska jag se filmatiseringen! Klarar inte av att säga hejdå riktigt än...
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August 17, 2025Jaha och vad ska jag göra nu då!
August 22, 2019
This is going to be a review of the series as a whole, not just this book.
When I was nine years old I fell madly in love with my first musical, Kristina från Duvemåla. I learned every song by heart, sang all parts aloud in the car on road trips (listening on my walkman), and finally got to see it live with my mother with the original cast (minus one) on the original stage. It was amazing. I also read the books it was based on. Yes. I was nine or ten and I read these books written in the late 40s/early 50s about the lives of some 19th century farmers emigrating to America. What was wrong with me as a kid? Nothing I guess, I was just a lil baby fangirl who liked history.
When I was an adult I found my way back to the musical (turns out I still knew all the songs and my heart rejoiced at the first few notes of the Prologue) and eventually I tried to read the books again. I failed. I think about halfway through the second book I was so so bored. But, I never let go of the musical again. I even managed to get my hands on two petticoats from the original production run! Let’s just say it will forever be my favourite, and every now and then I feel like listening through it all from beginning to end (it’s a long one guys) a few times. That happened about a week or two ago. And this time it made me finally want to reread the books. And not stop until I reached the end.
So… it turns out that wasn’t actually hard. Probably helps that I decided to listen to them on my commute this time, but that too is weird cause I’m used to English audiobooks and the Swedish narrator is a bit weird. But I just couldn’t stop.
Now, I think that if you’re a fan of the musical, the books have another dimension. Cause tbh, to a modern reader they are pretty stilted sometimes. Not just in terms of wording but they’re often very dry and simply account for events rather than try to engage the reader. It’s also just a story about someone’s whole life, and not a super exciting one either. But there is just something about it… it pulls you in.
You truly get invested in the lives of the Nilsson family. From Karl-Oskar asking for Kristina’s hand in marriage in a stony, starving Sweden. To him dying an old man, surviving his wife by 25 years, while looking out over prosperous fields in Minnesota. And all the hardship in between.
You’re definitely annoyed by some characters, and love others. But most are an inbetween. And while I love Kristina, her blind faith in God does sometimes annoy me. Ulrika doesn’t start out as a great character because the story is told from Karl-Oskar and Kristina’s point of view and there is no one Kristina despises more. But you absolutely love Ulrika eventually, as does Kristina. Now, as a fan of the musical I always love Ulrika cause she speaks her mind and takes no shit and I know she’ll be kind as well eventually. But wow, basically all the hardcore Lutherans are just horrible. The Baptists are so so much nicer.
The last book suddenly got hella brutal with the Dakota War of 1862, but I do really appreciate that Moberg doesn’t vilify “the reds”. He simply gives us the history and describe some serious atrocities that were committed by the Dakota/eastern Sioux, but he also gives us the reason for it which in the end is the same reason that Karl-Oskar brought his family across the Atlantic. And racism.
I said that as a fan of the musical you appreciate the books more. But the knowing the full story makes the musical grow as well. For example, Robert’s death by the stream has so much more meaning for me now (cause let’s face it. I didn’t remember anything from the first read through all those years ago) It isn’t just a nice reprise of his first song and a call back to that sense of adventure. It’s so much sadder.
And while on the musical… wow, reading the books really makes you see how insanely dedicated Björn and Benny were when writing it. Normally you’d read a book and go “yes, this story is a good foundation for a musical” and then just go from there. Make sure to hit the major points and write some good songs around the theme. Not in this case, oh no. Mostly they have taken scenes form the books and turned them into songs. Using many of the same words. There were points where I listened to certain bits in the care and even had to half sing the next few words cause they just tracked so well. Of course the timeline is a bit fudged with to make it flow better, and a lot is ignored cause it’s not important for the overall story being told in the musical. I was wondering how much of the beginning of the musical (Kristina is waiting for Karl-Oskar and singing about his way to her, and then later they sing about their courtship) was simply made up to give us a nice entry point for the story, as it isn’t dealt with in the first book. Turns out nothing. It’s just what Karl-Oskar thinks about at the very end, missing his wife, and tracing an old map of his home parish.
Funnily enough the two songs that don’t really use a lot of words from the book are the two most famous ones. One (Gold Can Turn To Sand, readily available in English for you all to listen to) deals with Robert telling Kristina the story of his and Arvid’s journey towards California (and Arvid’s demise). He never actually tells her that story in the book, but rather we as the readers are told and not with those words. Kristina doubting God is also very different. The reason isn’t even the same. Sure, it happens but we don’t get a lot of the wording either. Unlike most other songs. Also… in the musical we all pretty much assume Robert did make it to the gold fields and that he made it big. We as the musical audience never know the truth, just as Karl-Oskar and Kristina never do.
I was dubious when I set out on this mission to finish all four books. I didn’t think I’d make it, or rather I thought it would be a struggle but I’d get to the end cause of sheer determination. That wasn’t the case. I ended up really enjoying this journey, and I finished so quickly too. I don’t even know what to do with myself now. I guess I’ll put on my petticoat and listen to the musical over and over.
The story of Kristina and Karl-Oskar used to be just songs and a few picture in the CD booklet to me. I didn’t even remember the stage production. Luckily they revived the musical for the stage and I went all the way to Helsinki for that, and later to Gothenburg when it traveled there. So I have the visuals from that. And now I have the full story forever in my heart as well.
When I was nine years old I fell madly in love with my first musical, Kristina från Duvemåla. I learned every song by heart, sang all parts aloud in the car on road trips (listening on my walkman), and finally got to see it live with my mother with the original cast (minus one) on the original stage. It was amazing. I also read the books it was based on. Yes. I was nine or ten and I read these books written in the late 40s/early 50s about the lives of some 19th century farmers emigrating to America. What was wrong with me as a kid? Nothing I guess, I was just a lil baby fangirl who liked history.
When I was an adult I found my way back to the musical (turns out I still knew all the songs and my heart rejoiced at the first few notes of the Prologue) and eventually I tried to read the books again. I failed. I think about halfway through the second book I was so so bored. But, I never let go of the musical again. I even managed to get my hands on two petticoats from the original production run! Let’s just say it will forever be my favourite, and every now and then I feel like listening through it all from beginning to end (it’s a long one guys) a few times. That happened about a week or two ago. And this time it made me finally want to reread the books. And not stop until I reached the end.
So… it turns out that wasn’t actually hard. Probably helps that I decided to listen to them on my commute this time, but that too is weird cause I’m used to English audiobooks and the Swedish narrator is a bit weird. But I just couldn’t stop.
Now, I think that if you’re a fan of the musical, the books have another dimension. Cause tbh, to a modern reader they are pretty stilted sometimes. Not just in terms of wording but they’re often very dry and simply account for events rather than try to engage the reader. It’s also just a story about someone’s whole life, and not a super exciting one either. But there is just something about it… it pulls you in.
You truly get invested in the lives of the Nilsson family. From Karl-Oskar asking for Kristina’s hand in marriage in a stony, starving Sweden. To him dying an old man, surviving his wife by 25 years, while looking out over prosperous fields in Minnesota. And all the hardship in between.
You’re definitely annoyed by some characters, and love others. But most are an inbetween. And while I love Kristina, her blind faith in God does sometimes annoy me. Ulrika doesn’t start out as a great character because the story is told from Karl-Oskar and Kristina’s point of view and there is no one Kristina despises more. But you absolutely love Ulrika eventually, as does Kristina. Now, as a fan of the musical I always love Ulrika cause she speaks her mind and takes no shit and I know she’ll be kind as well eventually. But wow, basically all the hardcore Lutherans are just horrible. The Baptists are so so much nicer.
The last book suddenly got hella brutal with the Dakota War of 1862, but I do really appreciate that Moberg doesn’t vilify “the reds”. He simply gives us the history and describe some serious atrocities that were committed by the Dakota/eastern Sioux, but he also gives us the reason for it which in the end is the same reason that Karl-Oskar brought his family across the Atlantic. And racism.
I said that as a fan of the musical you appreciate the books more. But the knowing the full story makes the musical grow as well. For example, Robert’s death by the stream has so much more meaning for me now (cause let’s face it. I didn’t remember anything from the first read through all those years ago) It isn’t just a nice reprise of his first song and a call back to that sense of adventure. It’s so much sadder.
And while on the musical… wow, reading the books really makes you see how insanely dedicated Björn and Benny were when writing it. Normally you’d read a book and go “yes, this story is a good foundation for a musical” and then just go from there. Make sure to hit the major points and write some good songs around the theme. Not in this case, oh no. Mostly they have taken scenes form the books and turned them into songs. Using many of the same words. There were points where I listened to certain bits in the care and even had to half sing the next few words cause they just tracked so well. Of course the timeline is a bit fudged with to make it flow better, and a lot is ignored cause it’s not important for the overall story being told in the musical. I was wondering how much of the beginning of the musical (Kristina is waiting for Karl-Oskar and singing about his way to her, and then later they sing about their courtship) was simply made up to give us a nice entry point for the story, as it isn’t dealt with in the first book. Turns out nothing. It’s just what Karl-Oskar thinks about at the very end, missing his wife, and tracing an old map of his home parish.
Funnily enough the two songs that don’t really use a lot of words from the book are the two most famous ones. One (Gold Can Turn To Sand, readily available in English for you all to listen to) deals with Robert telling Kristina the story of his and Arvid’s journey towards California (and Arvid’s demise). He never actually tells her that story in the book, but rather we as the readers are told and not with those words. Kristina doubting God is also very different. The reason isn’t even the same. Sure, it happens but we don’t get a lot of the wording either. Unlike most other songs. Also… in the musical we all pretty much assume Robert did make it to the gold fields and that he made it big. We as the musical audience never know the truth, just as Karl-Oskar and Kristina never do.
I was dubious when I set out on this mission to finish all four books. I didn’t think I’d make it, or rather I thought it would be a struggle but I’d get to the end cause of sheer determination. That wasn’t the case. I ended up really enjoying this journey, and I finished so quickly too. I don’t even know what to do with myself now. I guess I’ll put on my petticoat and listen to the musical over and over.
The story of Kristina and Karl-Oskar used to be just songs and a few picture in the CD booklet to me. I didn’t even remember the stage production. Luckily they revived the musical for the stage and I went all the way to Helsinki for that, and later to Gothenburg when it traveled there. So I have the visuals from that. And now I have the full story forever in my heart as well.
August 27, 2018
Det är ett uttröttat ord men det finns inget bättre ord att beskriva denna serie: den är gripande. Mobergs sympati för dessa människors öden lyser igenom så starkt, trots att ingen av dem fanns på riktigt. Obegripligt sorglig, så lätt att känna igen sig, men mitt liv är ändå så annorlunda deras. Karl Oskar är så trygg. "Karl Oskar begrep varken den eviga saligheten i himmelen eller de eviga plågorna i helvetet. Hans förstånd räckte inte till."
April 17, 2025
En serie alla borde läsa. Karl Oskar och Kristina är karaktärer som etsat sig fast hos mig och som jag inte riktigt ville säga hejdå till.
December 31, 2024
I'm sad this is coming to the end. I loved this series so much. Definitely some of the best books I've ever read and my favorite reads of 2024.
October 27, 2014
Nu har jag skrivit så mycket om vad jag tycker om Mobergs serie om utvandrarna och den sista delen gör inget att ändra min åsikt. Det jag vill tillägga är att jag får mer belägg för att Moberg största motivation var att skildra nybyggarnas liv mer än att berätta en berättelse. Jag är inte exakt säker på hur många sidor romanserien överbryggar, men det är i varje fall närmre uppåt 2300. Jag skulle säga att en mer driven författare med en tydlig "plot" som den villa genomföra snarare än vilja skildra precis varenda detalj, tanke och blomsort skulle klara av det hela på 5-600 sidor. Moberg har tveklöst en faibless för kataloger (det hade Strindberg med, fast där slutar likheterna) och listor.
Nåja, i den här boken väntar man på att karaktärerna ska dö, och till slut gör de det.
Nåja, i den här boken väntar man på att karaktärerna ska dö, och till slut gör de det.
April 25, 2018
I did not expect this book to be so brutal. It was very brutal compared to the other ones.
October 3, 2020
I JUST FINISHED THIS IS A DAY AND NOW IM SOBBING OH MY GOD
December 23, 2021
pain, just pain. a good conclusion to the series but i did NOT enjoy this one very much, the ending was the best
May 12, 2024
Hej då Kal-Oska och Krestina❤️
September 15, 2023
I completed, with reluctance, the final volume of Moberg's 4-volume emigrant series. I wanted to linger longer and to hear more tales from their lives in Minnesota. I intend to find the films that have been made based on these historical novels. I am ready to read more about the American Civil War and the Indian Wars (particularly the effects and impacts on life in the upper Midwest of the USA). I may seek out Astrakan apple seeds and nurture my own tree! I have been on the Internet finding images of the the lake and the communities that sprang up where Karl Oskar and Kristnia carved out their lives in the USA. I am now quite curious about the Lutheran faith and the conflicts that arose among church communities during that era.
Mober's books have engaged me so completely. I am delighted to have (vicariously) made the long journey from the rocky homeland in Sweden to their new home in the USA. What a marvelous read it has been.
- Ginn, Crazy Chicken Lady in SC
Mober's books have engaged me so completely. I am delighted to have (vicariously) made the long journey from the rocky homeland in Sweden to their new home in the USA. What a marvelous read it has been.
- Ginn, Crazy Chicken Lady in SC
July 13, 2022
Tröttnade rejält, fjärde boken var RIKTIGT tjatig. Men såklart värd att ta sig igenom trots allt!
April 8, 2025
RIP Krestina och Kal-Oska ❤️ kommer sakna er.
February 23, 2023
This last book in particular tends to drag a little, but it is a neat wrap-up to an amazing journey. The Emigrants series is a definite must read. It ranges from pure fun to heartbreaking moments, and as a swede, it provides extensive insight into the lives of our ancestors. The amount of research Moberg has done prior to the books is impressive, and he truly knows the value of details. New inventions, cultural differences, experience of war, etc., and witnessing it from the lives of the many well-written characters, is all just great. Most importantly, it’s surprisingly entertaining from start to finish.
August 16, 2017
The whole series... A masterpiece.
May 26, 2022
Efter 4 ganska tjocka böcker har jag fäst mig vid familjen Nilsson och kommer sakna dem. Många sidohistorier som kanske inte tillförde så mycket men bra läsvärda böcker om moral, tro, relationer och mycket annat.
July 4, 2025
Fantastisk och hemsk. Kristina dog under SJ-resan och jag mådde dåligt. Var hon tvungen att föda så många barn… Undrar vad hon hade tänkt om hon visste att det finns preventivmedel idag. Hon borde ha levt nu!!! En stor del av Sveriges historia som många inte känner till. Känns extra speciellt eftersom jag varit på alla platser. När jag blir äldre vill jag vara som Kristina. ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2025
Fantastisk bokserie, älskade den från början till slut!
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