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Danish Connection: The Dansgaard Family Saga
An obscure fact from Danish history leads to a sweeping saga of turmoil and triumph for the Dansgaard family, tied with historical events of the time.
Bjorn is the patriarch of a Danish family, spanning eight decades of the twentieth century. Two world wars in Europe consume the continent, with the family members torn apart by choosing opposing sides in World War II. The second half of the century shifts to America, with the remnants of the family starting new lives and facing the consequences of their past actions. The story weaves a written fabric of the family through war, anguish, success, business, and love. Human nature and complex relationships are exposed when a mixture of personalities, Nazi, Jewish, Black, White, and American Indian come together in a startling reunion of redemption and understanding.
Bjorn is the patriarch of a Danish family, spanning eight decades of the twentieth century. Two world wars in Europe consume the continent, with the family members torn apart by choosing opposing sides in World War II. The second half of the century shifts to America, with the remnants of the family starting new lives and facing the consequences of their past actions. The story weaves a written fabric of the family through war, anguish, success, business, and love. Human nature and complex relationships are exposed when a mixture of personalities, Nazi, Jewish, Black, White, and American Indian come together in a startling reunion of redemption and understanding.
596 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2023
4 people want to read
About the author
Keith Thye
15 books1 followerKeith Thye was born in 1942 in San Francisco and has spent most of his working career on the West Coast. In the early 1990’s, after careers in other fields, he and his wife, Ann, found themselves semi-retired. Still looking for something to do, they found the Seattle BMW motorcycle dealership for sale, and Ann purchased it with proceeds from the sale of her earlier business. Keith became the president, and they operated the store for 22 years. In 2003, they purchased the Tacoma, Washington dealership and operated that store as well. Keith and Ann live in Ruston, Washington with their dog, Daisy.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 30, 2023
When we first meet Bjorn, the central character in acclaimed author Keith Thye’s latest work, Danish Connection: The Dansgaard Family Saga, he is a soldier in Belgium at the height of World War I. Wounded, he tries to think as positively as he can about his recent past and potential future. The possibilities will unfold through the pages of this vibrant historical saga.
One thing on Bjorn’s mind as he crouches in a foxhole is the last night he spent with Karla – the only occasion when the two lay together. That memory will form a large piece of his later life after he learns that Karla has a daughter – his. This is the beginning of his epic journey from poverty and war-time injury to success in business, and from Denmark and Germany, in both of which he has connections, to the charms of California and elsewhere. Bjorn will have more children, and more loves to add to his storehouse of care and achievement as the years pass. Each child has his or her own story to add to the plausible plot that Thye has constructed. One son, Tor, will join with the Nazi movement and be selected to hunt down Jews as the next world war is in full sway, while Bjorn, at the same time, will be involved with Frieda, whose Jewish connection would make her a target for Hitler’s extermination. Fleeing, first from Denmark and then to the US, Bjorn will make the most of his business acumen while his offspring become well-educated and have their own destinies to explore. Tor will find himself enamored of a Native American woman, forcing him to question his earlier attachments to the Nazi template of despising inferior races. And Bjorn’s last great love, in his waning years, will be a Black woman with whom he can share his uniquely broad worldview.
Award-winning writer Thye is himself a world traveler, having written extensively about his motorcycling ventures in two continents (The Whole Story). He is also, as demonstrated here, a diligent historian whose descriptions of the times that his characters are living through – two world wars, the Great Depression, a succession of American presidencies and the attacks of 9-11 - are offered in rich detail. He has based this book on the heritage of his wife’s German origins and supports his narrative with a lengthy array of references. Still, the central attraction of this creation will be the complex interactions, growth, intimacies, and emerging realizations experienced by Bjorn and his extended family.
Quill says: Thye’s vast panorama of international events tethered to family faith and future will especially enchant readers whose background includes immigration, racial and cultural mixtures, and a sustained belief in basic human values.
One thing on Bjorn’s mind as he crouches in a foxhole is the last night he spent with Karla – the only occasion when the two lay together. That memory will form a large piece of his later life after he learns that Karla has a daughter – his. This is the beginning of his epic journey from poverty and war-time injury to success in business, and from Denmark and Germany, in both of which he has connections, to the charms of California and elsewhere. Bjorn will have more children, and more loves to add to his storehouse of care and achievement as the years pass. Each child has his or her own story to add to the plausible plot that Thye has constructed. One son, Tor, will join with the Nazi movement and be selected to hunt down Jews as the next world war is in full sway, while Bjorn, at the same time, will be involved with Frieda, whose Jewish connection would make her a target for Hitler’s extermination. Fleeing, first from Denmark and then to the US, Bjorn will make the most of his business acumen while his offspring become well-educated and have their own destinies to explore. Tor will find himself enamored of a Native American woman, forcing him to question his earlier attachments to the Nazi template of despising inferior races. And Bjorn’s last great love, in his waning years, will be a Black woman with whom he can share his uniquely broad worldview.
Award-winning writer Thye is himself a world traveler, having written extensively about his motorcycling ventures in two continents (The Whole Story). He is also, as demonstrated here, a diligent historian whose descriptions of the times that his characters are living through – two world wars, the Great Depression, a succession of American presidencies and the attacks of 9-11 - are offered in rich detail. He has based this book on the heritage of his wife’s German origins and supports his narrative with a lengthy array of references. Still, the central attraction of this creation will be the complex interactions, growth, intimacies, and emerging realizations experienced by Bjorn and his extended family.
Quill says: Thye’s vast panorama of international events tethered to family faith and future will especially enchant readers whose background includes immigration, racial and cultural mixtures, and a sustained belief in basic human values.
Displaying 1 of 1 review