We had to go and leave our homesSome died young, some died old,The road was long but our hearts were strong - no sorry, wait, that's the Kelly Family.I would like to quote from the musical Kristina från Duvemåla, but I haven't heard it yet - it's on my to do list. Definitely is now, after reading this book. I'm sure Benny and Bjorn have done it justice.Speaking of music inspired by this book, you should check out the song by Ultima Thule called Sista brevet hem, which is a beautiful ballad about Kristina regaining her homeland in death. (make that the only song you check out by this band, though ;p)There's also the movie with Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman and there's the iconic statue of Karl Oskar and Kristina, where he looks straight ahead towards the new land and she looks back, towards her home she'll be missing all her life.So, you see, the reputation of this book preceded it, for me.I've reached the end of this 3-volume journey with mixed feelings - happy to have finally added it to my 'books I love' list and sad because it's over - I would have gladly read through more volumes, detailing the lives of Karl Oskar and Kristina's children and grandchildren.I personally love this kind of book, but for the people that might not, I'm gonna say that the book's greatest achievement was bringing vibrant life to all its characters and presenting important events in an engaging manner, even as no detail was spared for what some might call insignificant or boring matters, like for instance the chores of every-day life (which I loved reading about, by the way). It's gonna make you laugh at times, and at other times, yes - it's gonna coax tears out of you, I kid you not. At times - and this is something I've noticed with Scandinavian writers - the reader is shocked out of their complacency by a violent event - which is described with such raw power that it throws your complacency out the window and steps on it viciously. Some characters you may feel a strong dislike for, at the beginning - like I did for Ulrika and Danjel - only to feel the author chastise me from beyond the grave by subtly letting me know I was being intolerant and judging people too harshly, because this is life and its people in all their complexity, and one may laugh at their idiosyncrasies and be annoyed by some of their traits, but in the end, that's them and this is it.Actually, I think the main reason why I disliked Ulrika at first was because Kristina did herself. And like Kristina, I then changed my mind. Most of the book is from Kristina's point of view and when I realized she was going to die, it occurred to me that the rest of the book would feel empty without her. And it did, at least to me. I'm curious if that happened to anyone else, or if that was really the author's intention.In any case, I need to find a place for Kristina now in my list of top 10 favourite characters. Also, her relationship with Karl Oskar is one of the most beautiful and realistic love stories in literature. Sure, it lacks the 'adversity' and 'conflict' and the 'let me worship you down to your little toe' typical to what people call great love stories, but when I think about the veracity of it, my heart breaks. These two are taking the word 'marriage' at its word - they are walking all roads of their lives together, they share everything, they trust and rely on each other - and they want each other as much as they did when they were hormonal teenagers :) , in fact so much that - no, that's one spoiler I won't give away. I recommend this book to everyone - if you don't like it, then you ain't no friend of mine ;)
I feel a little jipped. The only copy of this book held by the New York Public Library is (I believe) abridged. It contains an abridged version of "The Settlers," and then 150 or so pages of what should be "The Last Letter Home." Therefore, there are some things that I missed (based on some spoilers I read). That being said, though, the parts that are here are fantastic. I felt a little silly sitting in the library (the book was in library use only) crying, but the book deserved it. It's interesting how the book is so tragic and yet there's a nice touch of hope and contentment at the end of the book. To review the series as a whole, I feel like it builds. The first three parts on their own seem a little episodic and some parts lag while other parts rush, but I feel like it's all necessary to build up to the finale. In the end, the series is about the journey of becoming American, and that includes some moments of dullness and monotony and the story wouldn't have the same emotional punch if those moments were left out.
Do You like book The Last Letter Home (1995)?
This is the final book in the set, taking Karl Oscar and his family through the Sioux uprising and Civil War, through the death of Kristina in 1862 and on to the end of Karl Oscar's life in 1890. Karl Oscar Nilsson, Swede, has become Charles O. Nelson, American citizen. His children have forgotten their Swedish and turned into Americans. His grandchildren are mixtures: Swedish-Irish and so on. Thus in the end it falls to one of his neighbors, forty years after Karl Oscar left Sweden, to write that poignant 'last letter home' to Karl's sister to tell her that he has passed away.
—Laurie
As this is book 4 in The Emigrant Novels series, I've been with these characters for a while. I am sorry to part with them now.This installment seems a bit more reflective than the others - fitting, as our main characters are aging and reflecting on their lives, choices, accomplishments, and legacies. I found Moberg's style reminiscent of Steinbeck's at times.I was left wondering about a few key characters (whatever happened to Ulrika and her family?), but that also seems fitting. Do we ever wrap up all our storylines in life?Overall I found this story of an emigrant family to be inspiring, brutal, and moving. I'm so glad I stumbled across this in the bookstacks of my library. Hooray for browsing!
—Janelle
I was really getting into this book, the last in a series, when I loaned it to my mother-in-law who has been reading the series as well. Well...she will finish it before I do. But I will be glad to get my hands on it again. I read about the main character (a homesteader farmer) who felt he really should get involved in the Civil War. His wife was relieved when he didn't pass the physical and had to stay with her and their young active family in Minnesota. There are good historical facts in the story, such as dates when states joined the union, etc. But everything is written in an interesting way.
—Aunt
