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Occupied: A Novel Based on a True Story
A world at war, a family kept apart and a young boy in the midst of it all. Will they all survive? As WW II breaks out, a father finds himself in the U.S. while his wife and sons are home in occupied Norway. Based on the son’s true-life journals from 1935-1945, this is the story of a family separated by war and uncertainty.
257 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2019
35 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Blorstad
4 books8 followersKurt spends most of his time on airplanes traveling for work. He has found that this tight environment is conducive for writing. His first book Plane Excitement was born and raised on many of his early flights.
With the news that his first grandchild was born with hemophilia, Kurt was inspired to try a new way to help generate donations and increase awareness about hemophilia. The eBook version of Plane Excitement is given away for free and the readers are asked for a small donation at the end.
With his second book, Occupied Kurt will be using the more conventional approach of giving a portion of his proceeds directly to the National Hemophilia foundation.
When he is not writing Kurt enjoys relaxing on the beach, playing tennis and working in the garden. Luckily for him these are also his wife Carol's favorite things to do and the two of them plan on collaborating on a murder mystery series in the future.
With the news that his first grandchild was born with hemophilia, Kurt was inspired to try a new way to help generate donations and increase awareness about hemophilia. The eBook version of Plane Excitement is given away for free and the readers are asked for a small donation at the end.
With his second book, Occupied Kurt will be using the more conventional approach of giving a portion of his proceeds directly to the National Hemophilia foundation.
When he is not writing Kurt enjoys relaxing on the beach, playing tennis and working in the garden. Luckily for him these are also his wife Carol's favorite things to do and the two of them plan on collaborating on a murder mystery series in the future.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 7, 2019
A novel based on a true story.
Thoralf, Trygve with their mother left the United States to stay with their Grandmother in Norway while their father remained the United States to earn money so they could come back and be together.
His plan was put on hold due to World War II and the Nazi occupation of Norway.
Thoralf and Trygve were hard workers, helping their grandmother and other family members.
The towns people took notice of the boys. Trygve had a job of watching and reporting to some important men in town who were part of the resistance. He kept all these things secret from the rest of his family.
When the war was over Thoralf and Trygve were able to return to the United States, since they were born there.
Their mother and little sister and brother had to stay in Norway for two years before they could get visas to enter the United States.
There was much joy when they were finally together after all the years of separation.
This was a very interesting story.
I want to thank Sephanie Barko for sending me this book.
Thoralf, Trygve with their mother left the United States to stay with their Grandmother in Norway while their father remained the United States to earn money so they could come back and be together.
His plan was put on hold due to World War II and the Nazi occupation of Norway.
Thoralf and Trygve were hard workers, helping their grandmother and other family members.
The towns people took notice of the boys. Trygve had a job of watching and reporting to some important men in town who were part of the resistance. He kept all these things secret from the rest of his family.
When the war was over Thoralf and Trygve were able to return to the United States, since they were born there.
Their mother and little sister and brother had to stay in Norway for two years before they could get visas to enter the United States.
There was much joy when they were finally together after all the years of separation.
This was a very interesting story.
I want to thank Sephanie Barko for sending me this book.
February 2, 2020
WW2 Norway seen from a child's point of view: review of the novel "Occupied" by Kurt-Blorstad
An elderly father and his grown up son travel to Norway, the land the father spent his youth. The old man gets quite emotional seeing all those familiar places and starts telling his story to his son.
It is mid 1930ties when an America born, from Norwegian parents, 7 years old boy, Trygve, takes a bus to travel from his paternal grandparent's house to that of his maternal grandmother's. His parents had emigrated to the US but his dad had lost his job due to the Depression. As a result of that they had taken their children back to Norway. But when the economy is picking up dad has gone back to the US and when he has saved enough money he will let the family come as well. As mom does not like Bestemor (grandmother) that much she rather waits at her own mother's house.
But saving money is a slow thing and when WW2 comes to Norway and the Germans invade moving to the US is impossible.
The book is very well written and keeps you glued to your Kindle. We follow Trygve from age 7 to 17 and the writer develops the story age consistent. For instance only we as grown-ups realise the poverty and later on teenager Trygve underestimates the danger at first.
The last chapter feels a bit hurried. I would have loved some grown up hindsight comments. Why did Norwegians who had wanted Norway liberated still emigrate? Was it that poor for them? Did he never miss the land and the friends of his youth? Was life in a big town not very different from life in a Norwegian village?
I recommend the book for people who are interested in history and WW2, for people from Norway or of Norwegian decent or who want to visit Norway, for adults but also for teenagers 10-18 (no sex, no graphic violence).
An elderly father and his grown up son travel to Norway, the land the father spent his youth. The old man gets quite emotional seeing all those familiar places and starts telling his story to his son.
It is mid 1930ties when an America born, from Norwegian parents, 7 years old boy, Trygve, takes a bus to travel from his paternal grandparent's house to that of his maternal grandmother's. His parents had emigrated to the US but his dad had lost his job due to the Depression. As a result of that they had taken their children back to Norway. But when the economy is picking up dad has gone back to the US and when he has saved enough money he will let the family come as well. As mom does not like Bestemor (grandmother) that much she rather waits at her own mother's house.
But saving money is a slow thing and when WW2 comes to Norway and the Germans invade moving to the US is impossible.
The book is very well written and keeps you glued to your Kindle. We follow Trygve from age 7 to 17 and the writer develops the story age consistent. For instance only we as grown-ups realise the poverty and later on teenager Trygve underestimates the danger at first.
The last chapter feels a bit hurried. I would have loved some grown up hindsight comments. Why did Norwegians who had wanted Norway liberated still emigrate? Was it that poor for them? Did he never miss the land and the friends of his youth? Was life in a big town not very different from life in a Norwegian village?
I recommend the book for people who are interested in history and WW2, for people from Norway or of Norwegian decent or who want to visit Norway, for adults but also for teenagers 10-18 (no sex, no graphic violence).
March 31, 2019
An incredible detailed family saga that had me reading just one more page until I had finished this true story. Father has left for the USA to prepare a place for the rest of the family, who are staying with her mother in a small town along the coast. There the older boys spend time learning all about living in a small town, helping out where they can. Unfortunately before the family can immigrate, the Germans have invaded Poland and appear to be settling in neutral Norway! What follows is a detailed description of the months and years giving us a window into what it was like to live in an occupied country. With age and awareness came extra responsibilities such as helping with the Norwegian Resistance. Upon their eventual arrival in the USA, Mother was finally able to let her guard down and heave a sigh of gratefulness.
I received this Egalley for my perusal with no expectation of a positive review. All impressions and opinions are my own.
I received this Egalley for my perusal with no expectation of a positive review. All impressions and opinions are my own.
April 10, 2019
‘Occupied’ is based on the true story of Kurt Blorstad’s father Trygve and his family during the WWII German occupation of Norway. As the novel begins, Trygve (age seven) and his brothers Thoralf (age eight), and Odd (age three) are living with their mother and grandmother in Norway. They use to live with their father in the U.S. but move back to Norway during the depression. Their father remains in the U.S. working and trying to earn enough money to move his family back to the U.S.
Trygve is the narrator throughout the book. He is excited to tell the reader that he also has another sibling on the way and hopes it will be a sister. His wish comes true. Trygve gives the reader a good picture of what it was like for the residents in the town during the occupation. His best friend is his brother Thoralf and they spend a lot of time with each other helping out their family and their Uncle who lives close by.
As they get older, they both get part time jobs after school. Trygve works for a local shop owner, baking bread and doing some clean up. However, he also serves as lookout when the town’s men gather in the shop to talk about the German occupation. He soon gets other responsibilities as well.
This book read almost like a middle school book to me and I think it would be good for sixth graders and up to learn about the occupation in an engaging way. It was written for middle aged adults and up and I do think that audience will certainly enjoy it as well. I am of middle age myself. The book is categorized as a Historical Thriller and while there was an element of heightened anxiety, I would not call it a thriller by any stretch. It is historical fiction. If you are looking for a historical thriller, you will be disappointed.
That said I really did enjoy ‘Occupied’. Kurt Blorstad transported me to German occupied Norway and I became part of the family. This was a great book to get lost in. Besides the names, the writing makes for easy and fast reading. Blorstand does an excellent job describing the time and landscape. ‘Occupied is a beautifully told story of coming of age during German occupation. I recommend it to historical fiction fans.
Trygve is the narrator throughout the book. He is excited to tell the reader that he also has another sibling on the way and hopes it will be a sister. His wish comes true. Trygve gives the reader a good picture of what it was like for the residents in the town during the occupation. His best friend is his brother Thoralf and they spend a lot of time with each other helping out their family and their Uncle who lives close by.
As they get older, they both get part time jobs after school. Trygve works for a local shop owner, baking bread and doing some clean up. However, he also serves as lookout when the town’s men gather in the shop to talk about the German occupation. He soon gets other responsibilities as well.
This book read almost like a middle school book to me and I think it would be good for sixth graders and up to learn about the occupation in an engaging way. It was written for middle aged adults and up and I do think that audience will certainly enjoy it as well. I am of middle age myself. The book is categorized as a Historical Thriller and while there was an element of heightened anxiety, I would not call it a thriller by any stretch. It is historical fiction. If you are looking for a historical thriller, you will be disappointed.
That said I really did enjoy ‘Occupied’. Kurt Blorstad transported me to German occupied Norway and I became part of the family. This was a great book to get lost in. Besides the names, the writing makes for easy and fast reading. Blorstand does an excellent job describing the time and landscape. ‘Occupied is a beautifully told story of coming of age during German occupation. I recommend it to historical fiction fans.
April 4, 2019
Occupied by Kurt Blorstad was based on a true story. It was a story that had laid dormant and suppressed for too many years. Somehow, people that lived through the horrors, constant fear, deprivation, and severe hardships of the German occupation and World War II often buried those memories but never really ever forgot them. Most of the time, the stories these people carried in their heads, remained unspoken because they were too painful to speak out loud. When any one of those stories were recounted the listener learned and understood so much more about their loved ones and what it was like to live through that time in history. Occupied was about the Nazi invasion of Norway. I did not know a lot about Norway's involvement in World War II and how the Norwegian people suffered by the hands of the Nazis. Once I started to read Occupied, I found it hard to put down. The words on the pages came alive for me and I was able to picture the scenes described in my head. Occupied was a story about family, bravery and determination.
A father and son traveled to Norway in 1999 to celebrate the father's seventieth birthday. Over the son's life his father had told him many stories about growing up in Norway including the German occupation of Norway. When they arrived in the little town of Vanse, the father and son went to the cemetery where family members on his mother's side were buried and then went past the one-room schoolhouse where the father and his siblings had attended school. Both places were actually just the way the father had described them to his son in his stories. The two headed off to see the home where the father had lived. Seeing the home where he had grown-up made the son's father get very emotional. He started telling his son a story but instead of speaking in English he had switched to Norwegian. His father became quite animated. Unfortunately the son understood nothing since he did not speak Norwegian. Quite suddenly, the father emerged from the car and ran up to the top of the nearby hillside. As his son looked at him the father began to tell the son a story he had never told him before or for that matter anyone else.
Brothers Trygve and Thoralf were born and lived in Brooklyn, New York until the crash of 1929. With the crash, jobs and money were hard to come by so their mother and the two brothers were sent to live in Norway until their father could secure a good job and save enough money to send for them again. When they first arrived in Norway they lived with Bestefar and Bestemor, his father's parents, in Spangereid. Their brother, Odd, now three years old, was born in Norway. Thoralf was eight years old and Trygve was seven when they first arrived. It was May 1936 and the family was leaving Bestefar and Betemor and going to live with their mother's mother in a little town outside of Vanse. Both brothers were sad and nervous to leave. They had been living in Spangereid for a while and liked it there especially when Bestefar took them fishing. Their mother really wanted to spend time with her mother and family before they returned to America. The bus ride to Vanse was quite an adventure but eventually they arrived in the small town, Lista, just outside of Vanse. Onkle Tarald, their mother's brother, picked them up from the bus station and drove them to Bestemor's house in Lista, just two miles from the ton of Vanse. Bestamor lived on a rural farm. Life with Bestemor on her farm was quite different to the life they had lived in Spangereid but the boys adjusted and came to like it very much. They had chores and attended the one-room school house. Trygve and Thoralf found jobs after school in the town to earn some money to help the family. Trygve worked for Mr. Ellenes sweeping his porch in the front of his store. Mr. Ellenes would become an important person in Trygve's life. In November of 1936, Thelma, their sister was born. Odd contracted Polio in February of 1937. Their house was quarantined but Odd made a full recovery but was left with a slight limp. Trygve and Thoralf settled into a nice, familiar routine, making friends and enjoying a peaceful life until the war came to Norway.
When German soldiers infiltrated Norway, everything changed. Life was no longer the easy, carefree life that was present before the arrival of the Nazis. Soldiers demanded large portions of the food produced and grown on the farms leaving little for the villagers. Homes were ransacked and valuables were taken. Identification cards and Norwegian birth certificates were required and could be asked to be seen at any time. Trygve and Thoralf had American birth certificates so their grandmother hid those and paid someone to make good fake ones for them. People were afraid to talk because you never knew who was listening and would report you to the Nazi officials. The boys observed boat loads of Polish prisoners landing on their shores and being marched away to build a prison where they would be kept. These prisoners, malnourished and in thread bare clothes, worked endlessly on German projects. Several men in the village including Mr. Ellenes and the boy's school teacher, became part of the Unknown Underground (XU) where they passed important information to their contacts. Trygve, earned the confidence of these men and became their lookout when they held their secret meetings. As the years passed, Trygve was asked to do even more and began to spy on the German operations at the airport and on the sea. Although Trygve knew how dangerous these acts were, his bravery and determination to help end the war drove him to do it without hesitation.
Occupied: A Novel Based on a True Story by Kurt Blorstad was a coming of age story about two brothers growing up in Norway and how the German occupation affected their thinking and how they lived their lives before,during and after the war. It was meaningful and emotional, poignant and riveting. I am so glad that Stephanie Barko reached out to me and sent me this ARC version of Occupied to read and review. It was so hard to put down. I did not know a lot about Norway's part in World War II. It was researched extremely well and recounted authentically from the memories of the father that lived through that time. What a trip that must have turned out to be for both the father and son. Although it was hard for people that survived World War II to share their stories, I believe that it is so important. These unspeakable acts by the Nazis should never be forgotten so they can never be repeated. I really loved this book and recommend it very highly.
A father and son traveled to Norway in 1999 to celebrate the father's seventieth birthday. Over the son's life his father had told him many stories about growing up in Norway including the German occupation of Norway. When they arrived in the little town of Vanse, the father and son went to the cemetery where family members on his mother's side were buried and then went past the one-room schoolhouse where the father and his siblings had attended school. Both places were actually just the way the father had described them to his son in his stories. The two headed off to see the home where the father had lived. Seeing the home where he had grown-up made the son's father get very emotional. He started telling his son a story but instead of speaking in English he had switched to Norwegian. His father became quite animated. Unfortunately the son understood nothing since he did not speak Norwegian. Quite suddenly, the father emerged from the car and ran up to the top of the nearby hillside. As his son looked at him the father began to tell the son a story he had never told him before or for that matter anyone else.
Brothers Trygve and Thoralf were born and lived in Brooklyn, New York until the crash of 1929. With the crash, jobs and money were hard to come by so their mother and the two brothers were sent to live in Norway until their father could secure a good job and save enough money to send for them again. When they first arrived in Norway they lived with Bestefar and Bestemor, his father's parents, in Spangereid. Their brother, Odd, now three years old, was born in Norway. Thoralf was eight years old and Trygve was seven when they first arrived. It was May 1936 and the family was leaving Bestefar and Betemor and going to live with their mother's mother in a little town outside of Vanse. Both brothers were sad and nervous to leave. They had been living in Spangereid for a while and liked it there especially when Bestefar took them fishing. Their mother really wanted to spend time with her mother and family before they returned to America. The bus ride to Vanse was quite an adventure but eventually they arrived in the small town, Lista, just outside of Vanse. Onkle Tarald, their mother's brother, picked them up from the bus station and drove them to Bestemor's house in Lista, just two miles from the ton of Vanse. Bestamor lived on a rural farm. Life with Bestemor on her farm was quite different to the life they had lived in Spangereid but the boys adjusted and came to like it very much. They had chores and attended the one-room school house. Trygve and Thoralf found jobs after school in the town to earn some money to help the family. Trygve worked for Mr. Ellenes sweeping his porch in the front of his store. Mr. Ellenes would become an important person in Trygve's life. In November of 1936, Thelma, their sister was born. Odd contracted Polio in February of 1937. Their house was quarantined but Odd made a full recovery but was left with a slight limp. Trygve and Thoralf settled into a nice, familiar routine, making friends and enjoying a peaceful life until the war came to Norway.
When German soldiers infiltrated Norway, everything changed. Life was no longer the easy, carefree life that was present before the arrival of the Nazis. Soldiers demanded large portions of the food produced and grown on the farms leaving little for the villagers. Homes were ransacked and valuables were taken. Identification cards and Norwegian birth certificates were required and could be asked to be seen at any time. Trygve and Thoralf had American birth certificates so their grandmother hid those and paid someone to make good fake ones for them. People were afraid to talk because you never knew who was listening and would report you to the Nazi officials. The boys observed boat loads of Polish prisoners landing on their shores and being marched away to build a prison where they would be kept. These prisoners, malnourished and in thread bare clothes, worked endlessly on German projects. Several men in the village including Mr. Ellenes and the boy's school teacher, became part of the Unknown Underground (XU) where they passed important information to their contacts. Trygve, earned the confidence of these men and became their lookout when they held their secret meetings. As the years passed, Trygve was asked to do even more and began to spy on the German operations at the airport and on the sea. Although Trygve knew how dangerous these acts were, his bravery and determination to help end the war drove him to do it without hesitation.
Occupied: A Novel Based on a True Story by Kurt Blorstad was a coming of age story about two brothers growing up in Norway and how the German occupation affected their thinking and how they lived their lives before,during and after the war. It was meaningful and emotional, poignant and riveting. I am so glad that Stephanie Barko reached out to me and sent me this ARC version of Occupied to read and review. It was so hard to put down. I did not know a lot about Norway's part in World War II. It was researched extremely well and recounted authentically from the memories of the father that lived through that time. What a trip that must have turned out to be for both the father and son. Although it was hard for people that survived World War II to share their stories, I believe that it is so important. These unspeakable acts by the Nazis should never be forgotten so they can never be repeated. I really loved this book and recommend it very highly.
February 1, 2019
OCCUPIED – Kurt Blorstad
A Novel Based on a True Story
Odin Publishing
April 2019
Historical Fiction
Norway – 1936 to 1999
It’s 1999 and a man and his son return to a Norwegian village to celebrate the man’s seventieth birthday. They arrive at a special spot that evokes much emotion in the older man, and he finally reveals a story to his son that he’s told few people.
Trygve and Thoralf, born in America, are in their parents’ homeland of Norway after the Crash of 1929. While their father finds work in New York City to send for them, they, their mother, and younger brother are living with their paternal grandparents. But that is coming to an end as their mother wants to spend time with her family in another village before returning to the United States.
Trygve tells the story in his own words through his journal as the boys settle into life with their grandmother at her rural farm. The early parts of the book give readers a wonderful background of a peaceful, pre-war existence. The boys settle into their new life, learning how to farm from their uncle, attending a one room schoolhouse, finding jobs to help out with the family finances, and observing the world around them.
As the years progress, there is some news that filters in about the Germans occupying neighboring countries. But soon there are German soldiers marching into the little village where Trygve and his family live, and nothing is the same any longer. Everyone must be careful what they say, and hiding valuables and precious food becomes necessary. The boys’ grandmother hides their American birth certificates and procures fake Norwegian ones for their safety. The men in the village begin to work secretly to pass information that trickles in.
Trygve and his brother observe the building of an airstrip, and they have a bird’s eye view of the harbor from a spot near their grandmother’s house. But everyone must be careful not to be curious. Just how dangerous will this occupation become?
OCCUPIED is a riveting, poignant, and very entertaining story based on fact. Trygve’s journal is detailed with not only everyday happenings, but personal reflections as well. He is a sensitive, loving son, but a young man with excellent observation skills. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, and, in fact, read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put OCCUPIED down and highly recommend this wonderful book.
A Novel Based on a True Story
Odin Publishing
April 2019
Historical Fiction
Norway – 1936 to 1999
It’s 1999 and a man and his son return to a Norwegian village to celebrate the man’s seventieth birthday. They arrive at a special spot that evokes much emotion in the older man, and he finally reveals a story to his son that he’s told few people.
Trygve and Thoralf, born in America, are in their parents’ homeland of Norway after the Crash of 1929. While their father finds work in New York City to send for them, they, their mother, and younger brother are living with their paternal grandparents. But that is coming to an end as their mother wants to spend time with her family in another village before returning to the United States.
Trygve tells the story in his own words through his journal as the boys settle into life with their grandmother at her rural farm. The early parts of the book give readers a wonderful background of a peaceful, pre-war existence. The boys settle into their new life, learning how to farm from their uncle, attending a one room schoolhouse, finding jobs to help out with the family finances, and observing the world around them.
As the years progress, there is some news that filters in about the Germans occupying neighboring countries. But soon there are German soldiers marching into the little village where Trygve and his family live, and nothing is the same any longer. Everyone must be careful what they say, and hiding valuables and precious food becomes necessary. The boys’ grandmother hides their American birth certificates and procures fake Norwegian ones for their safety. The men in the village begin to work secretly to pass information that trickles in.
Trygve and his brother observe the building of an airstrip, and they have a bird’s eye view of the harbor from a spot near their grandmother’s house. But everyone must be careful not to be curious. Just how dangerous will this occupation become?
OCCUPIED is a riveting, poignant, and very entertaining story based on fact. Trygve’s journal is detailed with not only everyday happenings, but personal reflections as well. He is a sensitive, loving son, but a young man with excellent observation skills. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, and, in fact, read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put OCCUPIED down and highly recommend this wonderful book.
April 10, 2019
I am a WWII era fan. I love the history of the war, the people of the time, and cannot ever get enough of it. Occupied is an interesting twist to what I have already read. This book is told by a child as he grows up during WWII. His father goes to America to make a better life and before the rest of the family can join him the war starts forcing them to stay in Norway.
The area that this family stays in is rural, there isn’t all the bombing that you’d get in a big city, there is occupation by the Germanys, and there is Nazi’s invading their town. I enjoyed learning how it affects a family without a father there to make decisions for them. The sons are forced to keep secrets, work against the Nazi’s without being found out, and keep the family fed, safe, and healthy.
Occupied was easy to read, easy to follow, and hard to put down. I enjoyed seeing how the family grew up, how their dynamics changed, and how the war would change their lives. For this family I feel it made them stronger and a tighter family unit.
The area that this family stays in is rural, there isn’t all the bombing that you’d get in a big city, there is occupation by the Germanys, and there is Nazi’s invading their town. I enjoyed learning how it affects a family without a father there to make decisions for them. The sons are forced to keep secrets, work against the Nazi’s without being found out, and keep the family fed, safe, and healthy.
Occupied was easy to read, easy to follow, and hard to put down. I enjoyed seeing how the family grew up, how their dynamics changed, and how the war would change their lives. For this family I feel it made them stronger and a tighter family unit.
April 8, 2019
In 1999, author Kurt Blorstad traveled with his father, Trygve, to Norway to celebrate Trygve's 70th birthday. As they visited landmarks from Trygve’s childhood, Trygve revealed secrets he had kept hidden for many years.
In 1936, at age seven, Trygve and his brothers, Thoralf, age eight, and three-year-old Odd, went with their mother, Pauline, to live with their maternal grandmother in a small town outside Vanse, Norway. The family had been forced to return to Norway from Brooklyn, New York, during the Great Depression. However, a year earlier, their father, Olaf, returned to America to prepare things for his family to join him. Not long after they arrive at their grandmother's house, their sister, Thelma, is born.
Life with their grandmother is peaceful and routine. The boys help with household chores, work on their uncle Tarald's farm, and attend the school in town. On Trygve’s tenth birthday, he catches the attention of Mr. Ellenes who hires him to work after school in his bakery. One afternoon, Trygve’s teacher, Mr. Dungvold, comes to the bakery with news of the Nazi invasion of Poland which sparks worry that the Nazis will set their sights on Norway. In 1940, Mr. Dungvold's fears become reality, even as Olaf has amassed enough money to bring reunite the family in America.
Life in Norway under German occupation is dramatically different. The boys are required to obtain new identification papers, curfews are imposed, resources are scarce, and a Polish prison camp is established nearby. Leaving Norway is now an impossibility.
As World War II drags on, Trygve learns that through seemingly small contributions, good people can help ensure victory. The first part of Occupied depicts the simple existence Trygve and his family enjoyed in Norway. Although their father had returned to the United States to earn enough money to reunite the family, they were content. Relocating from their paternal grandparents' home to their maternal grandmothers' house required adjusting to smaller quarters and a home lacking electricity or plumbing. They had to work hard gathering and storing peat, used as fuel. Still, they were happy to welcome a new sister and hopeful that their father would send for them before too long.
However, Trygve recounts how life is forever changed on April 9, 1940, when German troops invaded. Within a few short days, the little town of Vanse was "overrun by Nazis." Trygve's job at the bakery expands to include the role of lookout. And at 15 years old, Trygve agrees to spy from his grandmother's home situated at the top of the hill with an expansive view of the coast and airport, providing a perfect spot from which to observe the Germans' activities. He felt "it was now my turn to help, and I wanted to start right away."
Occupied's first-person narration by Trygve is powerful and highly effective because of its straight-forward, earnest, and unembellished delivery. He recounts the events from 1936 through 1945 in a vivid manner with great attention to the details of time and place that pull the reader into his world. Eventually was happily reunited in America. Looking back from his perspective as a 70-year-old, Trygve appreciates the dangerous nature of his war efforts. Just a teenage boy caught in unimaginable circumstances, he "made a decision to help, without thinking about what it might mean for the rest of the family if I were caught." Once committed, he honored his promise to help, but regret fueled his cautiousness and most likely saved his life, as well as his family members' lives.
Obsessed is an absorbing, sometimes terrifying, look at a time in history when the extraordinary actions of ordinary citizens helped secure the Allies' triumph and restore peace.
Thanks to Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist, for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
In 1936, at age seven, Trygve and his brothers, Thoralf, age eight, and three-year-old Odd, went with their mother, Pauline, to live with their maternal grandmother in a small town outside Vanse, Norway. The family had been forced to return to Norway from Brooklyn, New York, during the Great Depression. However, a year earlier, their father, Olaf, returned to America to prepare things for his family to join him. Not long after they arrive at their grandmother's house, their sister, Thelma, is born.
Life with their grandmother is peaceful and routine. The boys help with household chores, work on their uncle Tarald's farm, and attend the school in town. On Trygve’s tenth birthday, he catches the attention of Mr. Ellenes who hires him to work after school in his bakery. One afternoon, Trygve’s teacher, Mr. Dungvold, comes to the bakery with news of the Nazi invasion of Poland which sparks worry that the Nazis will set their sights on Norway. In 1940, Mr. Dungvold's fears become reality, even as Olaf has amassed enough money to bring reunite the family in America.
Life in Norway under German occupation is dramatically different. The boys are required to obtain new identification papers, curfews are imposed, resources are scarce, and a Polish prison camp is established nearby. Leaving Norway is now an impossibility.
As World War II drags on, Trygve learns that through seemingly small contributions, good people can help ensure victory. The first part of Occupied depicts the simple existence Trygve and his family enjoyed in Norway. Although their father had returned to the United States to earn enough money to reunite the family, they were content. Relocating from their paternal grandparents' home to their maternal grandmothers' house required adjusting to smaller quarters and a home lacking electricity or plumbing. They had to work hard gathering and storing peat, used as fuel. Still, they were happy to welcome a new sister and hopeful that their father would send for them before too long.
However, Trygve recounts how life is forever changed on April 9, 1940, when German troops invaded. Within a few short days, the little town of Vanse was "overrun by Nazis." Trygve's job at the bakery expands to include the role of lookout. And at 15 years old, Trygve agrees to spy from his grandmother's home situated at the top of the hill with an expansive view of the coast and airport, providing a perfect spot from which to observe the Germans' activities. He felt "it was now my turn to help, and I wanted to start right away."
Occupied's first-person narration by Trygve is powerful and highly effective because of its straight-forward, earnest, and unembellished delivery. He recounts the events from 1936 through 1945 in a vivid manner with great attention to the details of time and place that pull the reader into his world. Eventually was happily reunited in America. Looking back from his perspective as a 70-year-old, Trygve appreciates the dangerous nature of his war efforts. Just a teenage boy caught in unimaginable circumstances, he "made a decision to help, without thinking about what it might mean for the rest of the family if I were caught." Once committed, he honored his promise to help, but regret fueled his cautiousness and most likely saved his life, as well as his family members' lives.
Obsessed is an absorbing, sometimes terrifying, look at a time in history when the extraordinary actions of ordinary citizens helped secure the Allies' triumph and restore peace.
Thanks to Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist, for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
March 30, 2019
The German invasions of Denmark and Norway in April 1940, code-named Operation Weserübung - the first major Nazi military campaigns since the invasion of Poland seven months earlier - were the invasions that turned a regional conflict between the Third Reich and the Anglo-French alliance into a second world war. And Kurt Blorstad's father came of age in the middle of that catalyst.
Blorstad's novel Occupied is a novel based on his father's experiences as a boy born to Norwegian parents in the United States and growing up in Norway before and during the German occupation. It casts light on a theater of World War II less well known than the Nazi occupations of Poland and France or the fight against the Japanese in the Pacific. Trygve is a boy who goes with his mother and younger brothers to live with his maternal grandmother in the late 1930s while his father, living and working in the United States, hopes to send for them to come to America. It starts out as a typical coming-of-age story in the Scandinavian countryside at a time when life there was unaffected by modernity. Trygve and his brothers Thoralf and Odd learn how to farm and fish as well as harvest peat cakes for home heating, and Trygve learns the value of gainful employment by baking bread in a small general store. Their mother and grandmother run the family together through the birth of Trygve's sister Thelma and with help from Trygve's kindly uncle. The contrast between the old ways of rural life in 1930s Norway and the more advanced, more urban living pattern that Trygve's father has found in America are obvious, and Blorstad's illustrations of the mundane realities of Trygve's life are in fact a study in building character strong enough to face adversity - which becomes clear when life for Trygve's family and neighbors changes the day Adolf Hitler gives the signal to the German armies lying in wait to commence Operation Weserübung.
The German occupation of Norway illustrates how Trygve and his older brother Thoralf went from being boys to being men as they worked to keep their family well-fed and free from harm, trying to stay one step ahead of German soldiers who could arrest them for the smallest transgression. But Trygve finds his real strength in helping Norwegian resistance fighters and spying for them on the local German military base and prison camp, taking risks in helping to protect his country while assuming greater responsibility for his family. While you know that Trygve will survive - the story opens with Trygve in the summer of 1999 telling his tale to his own son - you’ll be left in suspense wondering how he will survive and whether his family will make it through intact.
Occupied may seem like old hat to readers of World War II novels set in other Axis-occupied countries, but there are some telling moments here. One involves the attempt by the Germans to secure a source of "hard water" that was later revealed to be part of the Nazis' attempt to beat the Allies in the race to build an atomic bomb. Even if you've read novels about Axis-occupied lands elsewhere, the book is fresh and revealing because of the often-overlooked Nazi occupation of Norway and how its strategic proximity to Great Britain made it an important front in the war. Occupied is Blorstad's noble effort to to look at the war in Europe in a whole new aspect and from a whole new perspective.
Blorstad's novel Occupied is a novel based on his father's experiences as a boy born to Norwegian parents in the United States and growing up in Norway before and during the German occupation. It casts light on a theater of World War II less well known than the Nazi occupations of Poland and France or the fight against the Japanese in the Pacific. Trygve is a boy who goes with his mother and younger brothers to live with his maternal grandmother in the late 1930s while his father, living and working in the United States, hopes to send for them to come to America. It starts out as a typical coming-of-age story in the Scandinavian countryside at a time when life there was unaffected by modernity. Trygve and his brothers Thoralf and Odd learn how to farm and fish as well as harvest peat cakes for home heating, and Trygve learns the value of gainful employment by baking bread in a small general store. Their mother and grandmother run the family together through the birth of Trygve's sister Thelma and with help from Trygve's kindly uncle. The contrast between the old ways of rural life in 1930s Norway and the more advanced, more urban living pattern that Trygve's father has found in America are obvious, and Blorstad's illustrations of the mundane realities of Trygve's life are in fact a study in building character strong enough to face adversity - which becomes clear when life for Trygve's family and neighbors changes the day Adolf Hitler gives the signal to the German armies lying in wait to commence Operation Weserübung.
The German occupation of Norway illustrates how Trygve and his older brother Thoralf went from being boys to being men as they worked to keep their family well-fed and free from harm, trying to stay one step ahead of German soldiers who could arrest them for the smallest transgression. But Trygve finds his real strength in helping Norwegian resistance fighters and spying for them on the local German military base and prison camp, taking risks in helping to protect his country while assuming greater responsibility for his family. While you know that Trygve will survive - the story opens with Trygve in the summer of 1999 telling his tale to his own son - you’ll be left in suspense wondering how he will survive and whether his family will make it through intact.
Occupied may seem like old hat to readers of World War II novels set in other Axis-occupied countries, but there are some telling moments here. One involves the attempt by the Germans to secure a source of "hard water" that was later revealed to be part of the Nazis' attempt to beat the Allies in the race to build an atomic bomb. Even if you've read novels about Axis-occupied lands elsewhere, the book is fresh and revealing because of the often-overlooked Nazi occupation of Norway and how its strategic proximity to Great Britain made it an important front in the war. Occupied is Blorstad's noble effort to to look at the war in Europe in a whole new aspect and from a whole new perspective.
April 6, 2019
From the Books Blurb:
As WW II breaks out, a father finds himself in the U.S. while his wife and sons are home in occupied Norway. Based on the son’s true-life journals from 1935-1945, this is the story of a family separated by war and uncertainty.
My thoughts:
Occupied is told through one continuous flashback which shows 70 year old Trygve taking his son to the place in Norway that means so much to him and telling his story. It is formatted as a journal might be; each chapter has as its title, the date. This is very helpful and one gets the feeling of reading the actual journal. That feeling is so authentic that in a few instances I thought the narrative was rather long and drawn out, just as a young boy might have written in. This only happened a couple of times and certainly did not detract from the overall reading experience.
As Occupied begins we meet the young brothers, Trygve and Thoralf, and other members of their immediate family in Norway. The boys are portrayed in such a way that the reader feels they know them, or at least someone like them. They're cute, rambunctious, and totally believable. I can just picture those boys questioning their relative about the journey to the bus station. "This isn't the road to the bus station." They are then told that they will be going by small boat across the fjord to reach the bus station. I would have loved that experience.
We watch the boys grow from youngsters unaware of the world falling apart around them to young men who want to help protect their world. From small childlike activities that help the war effort to clandestine activities of teenagers, the boys are caught up in the war.
Many countries in Europe have their WWII stories overshadowed by larger countries, especially in marketplace literature. This story introduces us not only to two special boys, but to the country of Norway and its people as they traverse the dangerous landscape of WWII. It was a welcome adventure into a less traveled land.
I don't think the book was written as a middle school level book, but I think it should be considered at that level as well as for adults. Often middle school boys cannot find historical fiction books with protagonists they can relate to. Here is one that middle school history and literature teachers should consider for their male readers. With some format editing of the longer paragraphs and the margins in the print version (middle schoolers do still like white spaces when reading), I think this could be an excellent middle school historical fiction and the genre needs more of those.
Occupied will be published April 9, 2019. You may pre-order your copy through various book vendors.
Posted by Jfaye at 4/06/2019 01:45:00 PM
As WW II breaks out, a father finds himself in the U.S. while his wife and sons are home in occupied Norway. Based on the son’s true-life journals from 1935-1945, this is the story of a family separated by war and uncertainty.
My thoughts:
Occupied is told through one continuous flashback which shows 70 year old Trygve taking his son to the place in Norway that means so much to him and telling his story. It is formatted as a journal might be; each chapter has as its title, the date. This is very helpful and one gets the feeling of reading the actual journal. That feeling is so authentic that in a few instances I thought the narrative was rather long and drawn out, just as a young boy might have written in. This only happened a couple of times and certainly did not detract from the overall reading experience.
As Occupied begins we meet the young brothers, Trygve and Thoralf, and other members of their immediate family in Norway. The boys are portrayed in such a way that the reader feels they know them, or at least someone like them. They're cute, rambunctious, and totally believable. I can just picture those boys questioning their relative about the journey to the bus station. "This isn't the road to the bus station." They are then told that they will be going by small boat across the fjord to reach the bus station. I would have loved that experience.
We watch the boys grow from youngsters unaware of the world falling apart around them to young men who want to help protect their world. From small childlike activities that help the war effort to clandestine activities of teenagers, the boys are caught up in the war.
Many countries in Europe have their WWII stories overshadowed by larger countries, especially in marketplace literature. This story introduces us not only to two special boys, but to the country of Norway and its people as they traverse the dangerous landscape of WWII. It was a welcome adventure into a less traveled land.
I don't think the book was written as a middle school level book, but I think it should be considered at that level as well as for adults. Often middle school boys cannot find historical fiction books with protagonists they can relate to. Here is one that middle school history and literature teachers should consider for their male readers. With some format editing of the longer paragraphs and the margins in the print version (middle schoolers do still like white spaces when reading), I think this could be an excellent middle school historical fiction and the genre needs more of those.
Occupied will be published April 9, 2019. You may pre-order your copy through various book vendors.
Posted by Jfaye at 4/06/2019 01:45:00 PM
April 10, 2019
I'VE ALWAYS SAID that every family has a great story to tell. I've done it in my genealogy-inspired series, and Kurt Blorstad has a real winner in "Occupied."
Crossing the ocean for better times becomes a familiar story to the Blorstad family. Trygve Blorstad’s parents may hail from southern Norway, but they met in Brooklyn, N.Y. Their first son is born there in 1929, and the Blorstads have three sons by the time they return to their Norwegian home during the Great Depression.
N.Y.'s factories begin reopening in the mid-1930s, so Trygve’s father returns to Brooklyn in 1936. This time he means to stay, and will send for his family as soon as he earns enough money for their fares.
Trygve is only 7 when his mother takes him, brothers Thoralf and Odd (Odin), and sister Thelma, to live with their Bestemor (grandmother) in a tiny coastal town. Much of Kurt Blorstad's Occupied is a charming tale of city boys learning to farm, cut peat, and catch fish under the guidance of elder relatives. They all come to love Norway’s boreal forests and rocky seacoast.
Then, things turn more serious in 1940 when World War II arrives in Vanse, and the village is occupied by German soldiers. Resistance movements spring up across Norway, including Vanse. The village's residents can’t stop the Germans from taking whatever they wish, but they soak up sightings, careless speech, and what goes on in the naval base across the fjord, and pass on what they learn.
It's not long before Trygve is asked to keep watch during a Resistance meeting. Then, in 1944, the 15-year old is lent a telescope to keep watch over the German naval traffic from a rocky knoll on the family's farm. You never know what might prove vital ….
Author Kurt Blorstad is Trygve’s son, and does an amazing job of bringing his father’s war journal to life in "Occupied." Mr. Blorstad takes care to maintain the viewpoint of a boy too young to understand everything that is happening, then maturing beyond his years with the knowledge that Nazis exact terrible vengeance on informers and their families. World War II buffs shouldn't miss "Occupied," and if you love family sagas like I do, it's for you too. It’s a terrific read for young readers as well.
Occupied, Kurt Blorstad, Odin Publishing, 2019, $14.95, pb, 255 pp, 9781732632400
Crossing the ocean for better times becomes a familiar story to the Blorstad family. Trygve Blorstad’s parents may hail from southern Norway, but they met in Brooklyn, N.Y. Their first son is born there in 1929, and the Blorstads have three sons by the time they return to their Norwegian home during the Great Depression.
N.Y.'s factories begin reopening in the mid-1930s, so Trygve’s father returns to Brooklyn in 1936. This time he means to stay, and will send for his family as soon as he earns enough money for their fares.
Trygve is only 7 when his mother takes him, brothers Thoralf and Odd (Odin), and sister Thelma, to live with their Bestemor (grandmother) in a tiny coastal town. Much of Kurt Blorstad's Occupied is a charming tale of city boys learning to farm, cut peat, and catch fish under the guidance of elder relatives. They all come to love Norway’s boreal forests and rocky seacoast.
Then, things turn more serious in 1940 when World War II arrives in Vanse, and the village is occupied by German soldiers. Resistance movements spring up across Norway, including Vanse. The village's residents can’t stop the Germans from taking whatever they wish, but they soak up sightings, careless speech, and what goes on in the naval base across the fjord, and pass on what they learn.
It's not long before Trygve is asked to keep watch during a Resistance meeting. Then, in 1944, the 15-year old is lent a telescope to keep watch over the German naval traffic from a rocky knoll on the family's farm. You never know what might prove vital ….
Author Kurt Blorstad is Trygve’s son, and does an amazing job of bringing his father’s war journal to life in "Occupied." Mr. Blorstad takes care to maintain the viewpoint of a boy too young to understand everything that is happening, then maturing beyond his years with the knowledge that Nazis exact terrible vengeance on informers and their families. World War II buffs shouldn't miss "Occupied," and if you love family sagas like I do, it's for you too. It’s a terrific read for young readers as well.
Occupied, Kurt Blorstad, Odin Publishing, 2019, $14.95, pb, 255 pp, 9781732632400
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April 21, 2019MWSA Review
This is a well-told story of what occurred in "neutral Norway" during World War II, based on journals kept by a young man who helped the resistance. A family with an American father, Norwegian mother, and four children—two of whom were born in the US—was separated by the outbreak of the war. The father had returned to the States in 1936 to earn enough money to bring his family back to America, where they would be safer. The young family, left behind in Norway, moved back to the mother's parents’ home, where they had no electricity and no running water but plenty of chores for the seven-year-old and eight-year-old brothers with a good work ethic.
By early 1940, the Nazis had invaded Norway, changing the boy's lives. The Nazis built a prisoner of war camp near their home as well as an airfield, and they took food and whatever else they wanted from residents. Although the boys were young, they were able to help the resistance, a story they did not tell for many years.
The chronology of the book is clear, and the story moves along at a good pace. Sometimes there are only days between entries; other times, there are months. World War II buffs will find this an excellent contribution to the history of the era, and all readers should enjoy the story of this young family's experiences from 1935 to 1945.
Review by Nancy Kauffman (April 2019)
This is a well-told story of what occurred in "neutral Norway" during World War II, based on journals kept by a young man who helped the resistance. A family with an American father, Norwegian mother, and four children—two of whom were born in the US—was separated by the outbreak of the war. The father had returned to the States in 1936 to earn enough money to bring his family back to America, where they would be safer. The young family, left behind in Norway, moved back to the mother's parents’ home, where they had no electricity and no running water but plenty of chores for the seven-year-old and eight-year-old brothers with a good work ethic.
By early 1940, the Nazis had invaded Norway, changing the boy's lives. The Nazis built a prisoner of war camp near their home as well as an airfield, and they took food and whatever else they wanted from residents. Although the boys were young, they were able to help the resistance, a story they did not tell for many years.
The chronology of the book is clear, and the story moves along at a good pace. Sometimes there are only days between entries; other times, there are months. World War II buffs will find this an excellent contribution to the history of the era, and all readers should enjoy the story of this young family's experiences from 1935 to 1945.
Review by Nancy Kauffman (April 2019)
April 9, 2019
Magnificently shared experiences
Blorstad pens a magnificent story in Occupied. The story is based on true journals, taking place within the WWII era. The words are heartbreaking, and heartfelt, and seen through the eyes of a father's son. I couldn't put this down, reading every word, taking a deep breath at the loss, and grandness of the story. It's an amazing account of experiences with a very unique perspective. He writes, "The prisoners’ clothing was starting to look a little worn and, although they looked healthy, they were not as stout as they were when they first arrived. I did not speak or say anything to them and gave them a wide berth as we passed each other, even walking off the road to stand and let them go by." Very powerful read.
Blorstad pens a magnificent story in Occupied. The story is based on true journals, taking place within the WWII era. The words are heartbreaking, and heartfelt, and seen through the eyes of a father's son. I couldn't put this down, reading every word, taking a deep breath at the loss, and grandness of the story. It's an amazing account of experiences with a very unique perspective. He writes, "The prisoners’ clothing was starting to look a little worn and, although they looked healthy, they were not as stout as they were when they first arrived. I did not speak or say anything to them and gave them a wide berth as we passed each other, even walking off the road to stand and let them go by." Very powerful read.
April 8, 2019
I first heard about this book through Facebook and literally begged the publisher to let me have an egalley to read. I am so very, very glad that I had this opportunity!
The book starts out with the author taking his father to Norway on his 70th birthday in order to visit relatives and see places from his childhood. The author states that he wanted to visit all the places he had heard about and see if his father "remembered things as they were, or if he-like most parents-had exaggerated what it was like when he grew up."
When his father arrives at his grandmother's old home, he instantly breaks into speaking Norwegian in his excitement. He then proceeds to tell his son an incredible story.
Trygve (the narrator/father) and his older brother, Thoralf, were born in the United States to Norwegian parents who had immigrated for a better life. However, when the Great Depression hit, Trygve's father sends his young family back to Norway with the intention of earning enough money to bring them back. Unfortunately, World War II breaks out before they can make it back to the US.
Trygve is given a journal by his paternal Grandmother and begins to write stories in it when the family moves to live with his maternal Grandmother. This book is basically told in the style of journal entries throughout Trygve's years in Norway.
The first part of the book is a joy to read, as it is told from the perspective of a typical young boy learning about his past, doing chores, playing with his siblings, and finding his way in the world. He recounts episodes of fishing, learning to cut peat blocks with his Uncle, finding out that his Mother is going to have another baby, and getting into adventures with Thoralf. When he learns that his Mother is pregnant, he writes: "Can this one be a girl? I have enough brothers and it would be nice to have a sister to help with all the cleaning I have to do."
I enjoyed this part of the book and shared some of the funnier parts with my husband, who is half Norwegian. In fact, I had to thaw out some frozen lefse to enjoy as I was reading! Soon, Trygve's idyllic childhood is shattered by German soldiers coming to their small town. He first learns about Hitler when a group of Polish prisoners is brought to a camp nearby in order to build an airport.
Trygve tries to find work wherever he can in order to help his family. He goes to work at a nursery, saying "I never knew there was so much to learn about manure." He soon becomes friends with Tore, another boy who works at the nursery. When Tore is arrested as a spy, Trygve is asked to become a part of the Unknown Underground.
I have read several books about WWII but never any that involved the Occupation of Norway. The author does a great job in describing the feelings in the area as they are overrun by Nazi soldiers. Their privacy is invaded, possessions and rations stolen, and fear is pervasive throughout the area. But, through all of this, there is always hope and the people never give up.
The book is full of humor, love, pathos, and hope. I often laughed out loud at some of the tales, but also felt like crying at times for the hardships that were described. The author's descriptions were wonderful and really made me feel like I was experiencing things right along with Trygve.
At the end of the book, Trygve tells his son, "Most people do things because it is the right thing to do at the time. In my case, I was angry with what the Germans had done to my friend Tore and made a decision to help, without thinking about what it might mean for the rest of the family if I were caught."
This is the type of book that will stay in my mind for a long time. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of WWII as well as people who enjoy reading memoirs. As I said before, the book is written from the perspective of a young boy who grows into a young man, but I think that readers of all ages would enjoy it and also learn from it.
The book starts out with the author taking his father to Norway on his 70th birthday in order to visit relatives and see places from his childhood. The author states that he wanted to visit all the places he had heard about and see if his father "remembered things as they were, or if he-like most parents-had exaggerated what it was like when he grew up."
When his father arrives at his grandmother's old home, he instantly breaks into speaking Norwegian in his excitement. He then proceeds to tell his son an incredible story.
Trygve (the narrator/father) and his older brother, Thoralf, were born in the United States to Norwegian parents who had immigrated for a better life. However, when the Great Depression hit, Trygve's father sends his young family back to Norway with the intention of earning enough money to bring them back. Unfortunately, World War II breaks out before they can make it back to the US.
Trygve is given a journal by his paternal Grandmother and begins to write stories in it when the family moves to live with his maternal Grandmother. This book is basically told in the style of journal entries throughout Trygve's years in Norway.
The first part of the book is a joy to read, as it is told from the perspective of a typical young boy learning about his past, doing chores, playing with his siblings, and finding his way in the world. He recounts episodes of fishing, learning to cut peat blocks with his Uncle, finding out that his Mother is going to have another baby, and getting into adventures with Thoralf. When he learns that his Mother is pregnant, he writes: "Can this one be a girl? I have enough brothers and it would be nice to have a sister to help with all the cleaning I have to do."
I enjoyed this part of the book and shared some of the funnier parts with my husband, who is half Norwegian. In fact, I had to thaw out some frozen lefse to enjoy as I was reading! Soon, Trygve's idyllic childhood is shattered by German soldiers coming to their small town. He first learns about Hitler when a group of Polish prisoners is brought to a camp nearby in order to build an airport.
Trygve tries to find work wherever he can in order to help his family. He goes to work at a nursery, saying "I never knew there was so much to learn about manure." He soon becomes friends with Tore, another boy who works at the nursery. When Tore is arrested as a spy, Trygve is asked to become a part of the Unknown Underground.
I have read several books about WWII but never any that involved the Occupation of Norway. The author does a great job in describing the feelings in the area as they are overrun by Nazi soldiers. Their privacy is invaded, possessions and rations stolen, and fear is pervasive throughout the area. But, through all of this, there is always hope and the people never give up.
The book is full of humor, love, pathos, and hope. I often laughed out loud at some of the tales, but also felt like crying at times for the hardships that were described. The author's descriptions were wonderful and really made me feel like I was experiencing things right along with Trygve.
At the end of the book, Trygve tells his son, "Most people do things because it is the right thing to do at the time. In my case, I was angry with what the Germans had done to my friend Tore and made a decision to help, without thinking about what it might mean for the rest of the family if I were caught."
This is the type of book that will stay in my mind for a long time. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of WWII as well as people who enjoy reading memoirs. As I said before, the book is written from the perspective of a young boy who grows into a young man, but I think that readers of all ages would enjoy it and also learn from it.
July 25, 2019
Fascinating, realistic tale. Not great writing, but the characters are well developed and believable. The novel is based on a child’s journal, which rings true. The connection to events of the time, with a personal perspective, made this fascinating to me.
May 12, 2020
Very good
Enjoyed the story! Well written.vivid characters, felt I knew the young boys who grew from boys to men under German occupation. Their mother struggled to keep her family together even though the father was in America she made him come alive for her children. A good happy ending made for an even better book.
Enjoyed the story! Well written.vivid characters, felt I knew the young boys who grew from boys to men under German occupation. Their mother struggled to keep her family together even though the father was in America she made him come alive for her children. A good happy ending made for an even better book.
March 24, 2020
A wonderful story of growing up during the Nazi occupation of Norway. How family endured and survived such harshness from the Germans. An easy read that let me feel as if I knew exactly what the farm house and outbuildings looked like!
April 14, 2020
A diary of survival
An interesting tale of a family's survival during WWII in far rural Norway. I am in awe of the imaginative and inventive means that these people adopted to survive the cruelty of war, the lack of food and resources. An interesting read.
An interesting tale of a family's survival during WWII in far rural Norway. I am in awe of the imaginative and inventive means that these people adopted to survive the cruelty of war, the lack of food and resources. An interesting read.
April 8, 2019
An eye-catching book cover caught my attention in the book Occupied by author Kurt Blorstad. It is based on the author’s own family during World War II.
The author and his father Trygve Blorstad traveled to Norway for his father’s 70th birthday. They traveled to his Mom’s childhood home which set on a tall hill. At the top of the hill were three large rocks. They climbed to the top of the hill where Trygve relates to his son, “Many things happened at the top of this hill and on or behind these three rocks many of which no one else alive knows about”.
This brilliantly written book offers an insight into the daily lives of the Blorstad family prior to, during World War II, and after. In 1936, this is a separated family with Pop in America working to earn sufficient funds for a home and ship tickets for the rest of the family to travel to America. Mom and the children resided in Norway staying with Pop‘s family and then with Mom‘s mother.
All is progressing fairly well for the family until April 1940 when Norway is occupied by the Germans/Nazi War machine. This is a harrowing time for Norway residents and the Blorstad family until World War II ends in Europe in May 1945.
This is an intriguing and interesting book with an added mystery element of what happened around the three rocks? I highly recommend this wonderful book. The subject and content are for both adult readers and avid World War II readers. I hope many teachers will notice this book and use it as reference material or for an excellent classroom project. Also, it would work for parents or grandparents who are reading with their children or grandchildren. I hope the author will write another book continuing the Blorstad family saga to the present.
I received an egalley for this book. I loved the book and have expressed my opinions this way for this review.
The author and his father Trygve Blorstad traveled to Norway for his father’s 70th birthday. They traveled to his Mom’s childhood home which set on a tall hill. At the top of the hill were three large rocks. They climbed to the top of the hill where Trygve relates to his son, “Many things happened at the top of this hill and on or behind these three rocks many of which no one else alive knows about”.
This brilliantly written book offers an insight into the daily lives of the Blorstad family prior to, during World War II, and after. In 1936, this is a separated family with Pop in America working to earn sufficient funds for a home and ship tickets for the rest of the family to travel to America. Mom and the children resided in Norway staying with Pop‘s family and then with Mom‘s mother.
All is progressing fairly well for the family until April 1940 when Norway is occupied by the Germans/Nazi War machine. This is a harrowing time for Norway residents and the Blorstad family until World War II ends in Europe in May 1945.
This is an intriguing and interesting book with an added mystery element of what happened around the three rocks? I highly recommend this wonderful book. The subject and content are for both adult readers and avid World War II readers. I hope many teachers will notice this book and use it as reference material or for an excellent classroom project. Also, it would work for parents or grandparents who are reading with their children or grandchildren. I hope the author will write another book continuing the Blorstad family saga to the present.
I received an egalley for this book. I loved the book and have expressed my opinions this way for this review.
March 5, 2019
Occupied delivers a brilliantly detailed and loving portrait of a family surviving WWII in rural Norway.
Brothers Trygve and Thoralf navigate life in a small Norwegian village as storm clouds of war first appear on the horizon and then blow through the countryside, putting everything they know at risk. Based on true events, Blorstad captures the essence of his family members and brings us into their living rooms and into their personal conversations, showing us how real people were impacted and survived the Nazi occupation.
As Frank McCourt did in Angela's Ashes, Blorstad conveys the youthful idealism of his protagonist through language and his reactions to the changes in the world around him. With great attention to detail in the everyday life of the villagers, he manages to put the reader into the center of the experience, leaving us feeling the tension of being under guard and under pressure during the occupation.
Occupied is a strong debut novel. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find a lot to enjoy in these pages. The photos of the author's family members from the time described in the book are a joy after living with them on the page. I highly recommend Occupied.
Jeff Gunhus
USA TODAY bestselling author
Brothers Trygve and Thoralf navigate life in a small Norwegian village as storm clouds of war first appear on the horizon and then blow through the countryside, putting everything they know at risk. Based on true events, Blorstad captures the essence of his family members and brings us into their living rooms and into their personal conversations, showing us how real people were impacted and survived the Nazi occupation.
As Frank McCourt did in Angela's Ashes, Blorstad conveys the youthful idealism of his protagonist through language and his reactions to the changes in the world around him. With great attention to detail in the everyday life of the villagers, he manages to put the reader into the center of the experience, leaving us feeling the tension of being under guard and under pressure during the occupation.
Occupied is a strong debut novel. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find a lot to enjoy in these pages. The photos of the author's family members from the time described in the book are a joy after living with them on the page. I highly recommend Occupied.
Jeff Gunhus
USA TODAY bestselling author
April 11, 2019
In the beginning, I thought it was going to be just a sweet story of a child on a trip “back home” with his father. It is this and so much more. Next, I decided it would be perfect in a school library for middle school children. It is also that.
I let myself settle in on a cold weekend and become an invisible family member as the author, on the trip of a lifetime with his aging parent, hands the microphone to his father, Trygve to tell the story of living in Norway with his maternal grandmother, mother, and siblings on the west coast of Norway in Norway. And what a story it is!
Rich with descriptions and locations and family life, it also has danger and intrigue through the eyes of a Norwegian youth in Germany’s early occupation of a neutral country. While neither a boy nor Norwegian, I quickly found myself becoming a shadowy partner to his life and antics.
It takes the reader through peacetime, the war and the ultimate goal of rejoining his father in America
A well-written and engaging book for readers of all ages! I found myself drifting back in time to another place, another life, filled with adventure! (less)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U45I...
I let myself settle in on a cold weekend and become an invisible family member as the author, on the trip of a lifetime with his aging parent, hands the microphone to his father, Trygve to tell the story of living in Norway with his maternal grandmother, mother, and siblings on the west coast of Norway in Norway. And what a story it is!
Rich with descriptions and locations and family life, it also has danger and intrigue through the eyes of a Norwegian youth in Germany’s early occupation of a neutral country. While neither a boy nor Norwegian, I quickly found myself becoming a shadowy partner to his life and antics.
It takes the reader through peacetime, the war and the ultimate goal of rejoining his father in America
A well-written and engaging book for readers of all ages! I found myself drifting back in time to another place, another life, filled with adventure! (less)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U45I...
July 19, 2020
Great read highly recomend
August 2, 2020
This was a great read and the point of view from Norway during WWII
September 29, 2023
3.5
Though I liked the premise of this book, and so many of the detailed descriptions, I felt that this was a basically a YA novel, and wish it had been marketed this way.
I believe it was the author's choice to write in the vocabulary of the child who is narrating the story. This is effective in some ways, but I grew weary of reading how the child "jumped" into the wagon, and "jumped" out of the wagon, and then his brother "jumped" into the wagon ....
I think I would have appreciated an adult view of things that the child had witnessed. As it is written, things happened with little to no analysis.
I would definitely recommend this to a upper level elementary school reading group. It brings up topics that would do well in discussion.
Though I liked the premise of this book, and so many of the detailed descriptions, I felt that this was a basically a YA novel, and wish it had been marketed this way.
I believe it was the author's choice to write in the vocabulary of the child who is narrating the story. This is effective in some ways, but I grew weary of reading how the child "jumped" into the wagon, and "jumped" out of the wagon, and then his brother "jumped" into the wagon ....
I think I would have appreciated an adult view of things that the child had witnessed. As it is written, things happened with little to no analysis.
I would definitely recommend this to a upper level elementary school reading group. It brings up topics that would do well in discussion.
November 10, 2025
Very Interesting Story
I read a lot of WW2 historical fiction. A story about life in Norway during the war was something different. This is a well written account of one family's experience during the German occupation there. It is a story of love, family, sacrifice, and courage. There is no foul language or sex. I highly recommend.
I read a lot of WW2 historical fiction. A story about life in Norway during the war was something different. This is a well written account of one family's experience during the German occupation there. It is a story of love, family, sacrifice, and courage. There is no foul language or sex. I highly recommend.
March 17, 2025
Family History
As a family remembrance, Mr. Blorstad has crafted a well-written story of the pre-war and ww2 years in small town Norway. A good read!
As a family remembrance, Mr. Blorstad has crafted a well-written story of the pre-war and ww2 years in small town Norway. A good read!
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