Overview

In the spring of 1853, a family of eight drove their wagon to the wharf in Bergen, Norway. They unloaded their belongings alongside the other stacks labeled, AMERICA, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK CITY, CHICAGO and boarded the crowded ship. Hopeful, nervous Norwegians-giving up everything for a place they knew of only through second-hand tales of freedom and opportunity-watched as the shoreline retreated, knowing they would never see their homeland again. Their trip ahead would be spent in cramped conditions for two or three months until they reached Ellis Island. The United States, where they were immigrating to, was facing many problems including tensions over slavery and the subsequent beginning of the Civil War. The family moved west to farm the free land that was offered to them but were met with resistance, as it was land that had been cultivated by Native Americans for thousands of years before. The family was nearly eliminated during these times, often referred to as the American Indian Wars. Future generations carried on to the Dakotas and Alberta with difficulties. These Norwegians persisted. Through ardent research and narrative biography, Robert Dodge reflects on the immigrant experience of one Norwegian family from the mid-19th century through World War II in FIELDS OF FORTUNE: 'Viking' Farmers in America.

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9781957288673

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Reviews

Advanced Praise for FIELDS OF FORTUNE: 'Viking' Farmers In America by Robert Dodge A thriller, a family adventure, a Viking heritage story that kept me turning pages and asking for more... -Alice C. Schelling, Author of HIDING ALINKA *** A riveting tale about Norwegian settlement featuring strong women who carried their families forward even when their men failed them. -Carol Bradley Bursack, Author of MINDING OUR ELDERS *** Award-winning author Robert Dodge doesn't just write history, he paints it in true story-telling style. -Jodi Bowersox, President of the Colorado Authors League *** Peace Corps gives opportunities to take risks, value new cultures, and build trust across communities through shared vulnerabilities. What I appreciated about Robert Dodge's book is his exploration of Norwegian culture, hardships families faced adapting to a new country, and how the drive to survive shows the depth of immigrants' influence in the northern mid-west.  -Jody Olsen, Peace Corps Director, 2018-2021 *** Resting on an archival treasure-trove of family documents and full of lively historical details and vivid character portraits, Robert Dodge gently puts to rest the old homesteading myths. The emerging portrait is far more real and human, and even inspiring.  -John Durham Peters, Mar�a Rosa Menocal Professor, Yale University *** As a longtime member of Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway, I am anxiously looking forward this book. -Mary Beth Langord Ingvoldstad, Lodge #6-166 & Aase Lodge

Advanced Praise for FIELDS OF FORTUNE: 'Viking' Farmers In America by Robert Dodge A thriller, a family adventure, a Viking heritage story that kept me turning pages and asking for more... -Alice C. Schelling, Author of HIDING ALINKA *** A riveting tale about Norwegian settlement featuring strong women who carried their families forward even when their men failed them. -Carol Bradley Bursack, Author of MINDING OUR ELDERS *** Award-winning author Robert Dodge doesn't just write history, he paints it in true story-telling style. -Jodi Bowersox, President of the Colorado Authors League *** Peace Corps gives opportunities to take risks, value new cultures, and build trust across communities through shared vulnerabilities. What I appreciated about Robert Dodge's book is his exploration of Norwegian culture, hardships families faced adapting to a new country, and how the drive to survive shows the depth of immigrants' influence in the northern mid-west.  -Jody Olsen, Peace Corps Director, 2018-2021 *** Resting on an archival treasure-trove of family documents and full of lively historical details and vivid character portraits, Robert Dodge gently puts to rest the old homesteading myths. The emerging portrait is far more real and human, and even inspiring.  -John Durham Peters, María Rosa Menocal Professor, Yale University *** As a longtime member of Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway, I am anxiously looking forward this book. -Mary Beth Langord Ingvoldstad, Lodge #6-166 & Aase Lodge

Advanced Praise for FIELDS OF FORTUNE: 'Viking' Farmers In America by Robert Dodge A thriller, a family adventure, a Viking heritage story that kept me turning pages and asking for more... -Alice C. Schelling, Author of HIDING ALINKA *** A riveting tale about Norwegian settlement featuring strong women who carried their families forward even when their men failed them. -Carol Bradley Bursack, Author of MINDING OUR ELDERS *** Award-winning author Robert Dodge doesn't just write history, he paints it in true story-telling style. -Jodi Bowersox, President of the Colorado Authors League *** Peace Corps gives opportunities to take risks, value new cultures, and build trust across communities through shared vulnerabilities. What I appreciated about Robert Dodge's book is his exploration of Norwegian culture, hardships families faced adapting to a new country, and how the drive to survive shows the depth of immigrants' influence in the northern mid-west. -Jody Olsen, Peace Corps Director, 2018-2021 *** Resting on an archival treasure-trove of family documents and full of lively historical details and vivid character portraits, Robert Dodge gently puts to rest the old homesteading myths. The emerging portrait is far more real and human, and even inspiring. -John Durham Peters, Maria Rosa Menocal Professor, Yale University *** As a longtime member of Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway, I am anxiously looking forward this book. -Mary Beth Langord Ingvoldstad, Lodge #6-166 & Aase Lodge

Author Information

Robert Dodge is the author of eight non-fiction books, the most recent an award winner in Colorado and New York City. He has master's degrees from North Dakota State University and Harvard's Kennedy School. For 37 years he taught history, and he was an expat for 35 in London and Singapore.

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