Customer Reviews

In Cod We Trust: Living the Norwegian Dream

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I came across "In Cod We Trust" while working on a newsletter for a Scandinavian specialty store and was attracted to Dregni's account basically because I loved the title. After sitting down with the merchandise, I read it straight through -- fascinated because his book ultimately tells me how many Norwegian tendencies we retain in Minnesota, or, as described in his book, "Norway's colony in America."

Dregni and his wife spent a year in Trondheim, Norway, on a Fulbright fellowship. Knowing no Norwegian at all, he approached their experience as a blank canvas free of ethnic sentimentaily and preconception. And he has much to report, from encounters with taciturn neighbors to surviving the dark winter months and his requisite quest to locate his family's roots.

But he's also describing life in the Upper Midwest communities in which we grew up. Here's the key that unlocks our sometimes-mystifying hyper-humility and self-deprecating sense of humor. If you've never heard of Janteloven, the semi-satirical "laws" that keep Norwegians humble, this is the place to start.

That Eric is a terrific writer is a wonderful gift on this voyage of discovery. His stories are sharply observed, engaging and funny ... so much so that you don't even need Norwegian roots to enjoy it!

Dregni is a great story teller, not a fantastic writer by any means, but his writing is down-to-earth and very consumable by everyone. That it is written in a conversational tone and not academic/analytical musings makes it much easier to relate with than similar books. That said, I was expecting a...broader perspective on his time spent in Norway. Recently, I had the honor to take a similar journey, but perhaps mine was not as isolated as his because I was in southern Norway and with very distant relatives. However, for a month I lived on my own and the Norway I experienced was far different, but it must be emphasized that Norway is quite regional and where I was might have played a large role in my interactions with Norwegians.

His tale is one of most Americans; longing to discover the family roots, implanted by an old-timer who clutched at whatever parts of his heritage he could find to at least give his children something to know and with which to identify. The reader is taken through Dregni's childhood of a father wanting desperately to maintain some ounce of his Viking ancestors, much to the chagrin of the family, who doesn't share his enthusiasm about lutefisk. Dregni decides to compete for a Fulbright scholarship to research his family history in Norway, and is granted the opportunity. His wife, however, doesn't seem too keen about it, as she has just found out she's pregnant.

Perhaps this is what bothered me the most, but the wife seemed to be such a stick in the mud. Now, I've never had the displeasure of being with child (thankfully), so what I can conjure up is lots of morning sickness and irritability, and combined with a foreign country with no family to help you through your first pregnancy could make one rather cautious and otherwise dreary. She just seemed to really prevent many real Norwegian experiences (parties, exploration, soaking up the culture, etc). Dregni does force her out, but most of the time she seems to stay in the house, quietly fuming about her "predicament." Neither she nor the author comes away from Norway speaking the language even slightly fluently, it seems as though they just existed in a tiny bubble of imported America. Dregni did take Norwegian classes, but I don't remember the book having anything about her taking language classes.

In all, what I see is what could have been a great experience for someone majoring in the subject, or perhaps, fully interested in learning about other cultures. Instead, we have observations made from afar, and it pains me to see the scholarship used in such a way, as there doesn't seem to be much else here other than: "I lived in Norway for a year with my pregnant wife, our son was born here, it's icy and cold, the Norwegians are antisocial, and rakfisk is worse than lutefisk." There are redeeming qualities (humor, jokes about Norwegian Americans, reflections on both Americans and Norwegians), but as an anthropology major I was expecting more from a family being paid to STUDY Norway, all they did was exist in it.

I was initially put off by the high cover price of $29.95 for such a small book when I bought it at a Scandinavian shop. However I am glad I made the purchase.

The book tells the story of Eric Dregni's year-long sojourn in Norway, land of his ancestors, as the recipient of a Fulbright award. Along with his pregnant wife Katy, we get a view of what it would be like to move to Norway and take up residence in a strange culture, familiar due to ancestry yet alien since the modern Norwegian culture is not always like that one's ancestors left 100 years ago.

Dregni tells his story with subtle Nordic humor throughout, as he and his wife navigate the many unexpected challenges of living day to day with Norwegian bureaucracy, public systems, infrastructure, customs, food, clothing, celebrations, and people. It is surprising to learn that Norwegians consider Minnesota to be a "colony" of Norway, and accept returning Americans of Norwegian ancestry as "Norwegians" no matter how mixed their blood. In Norway, university students study the immigration of the 19th century and Norwegian cultural enclaves in America, in order to learn more about lost dialects and folkways that were handed down faithfully by immigrant forebears in the new world. The oil wealth of modern Norway supports a near-utopian society of pleasant contemporary living, which contrasts sharply with the poverty and struggle that propelled so many Norwegians in the 1800's to emigrate to America.

For Dregni, the story comes full circle as his son is born in Norway, named for the great-grandfather who left it. Dregni even finds the farm site where his great-grandfather lived, and gains insight into the challenges faced by his forebear.

I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it immensely. It has a permanent place on my bookshelf as a primer in case I ever have the opportunity to visit Norway myself someday. Until then, I have vicariously enjoyed a trip via this volume.

(P.S. If you like this type of story where an American of Norwegian ancestry returns to the "old country" to search out their roots, you might like to read "Astri, My Astri" by Deb Nelson Gourley, another student who sojourns in Norway and finds the localities that her ancestors knew, along with meeting distant relations.)

Reading Dregni's writing takes no effort at all. If anything, it's recharging! His humor is dry and self-effacing, his creative memoir (of his year abroad) is engaging, and his writing brings colorful visuals to mind. In my case, it was the perfect remedy for some melancholy. If you appreciate Scandanavian culture and/or Garrison Keillor, or in the worst case, if you've ever had a first-hand experience with lutefisk, then pour yourself some strong coffee and enjoy a great read.

I saw Eric at Mindekirken (It means Little Church in Norwegian.), the Norwegian Lutheran church in Minneapolis. He's a splendid public speaker. So of course, I wanted to read his book!

Whenever I chatted with someone about In Cod We Trust or mentioned that I go to a Norwegian Church, they usually asked if I'm Norwegian. I'm not Norwegian; I'm half Dutch. You don't have to be Norwegian to enjoy this book!

The story begins with Eric asking for a fellowship to trek to Norway for a year with Katy, his wife. He has no qualifications to speak of and he's a total blank slate about what he will actually write about. The stuffy professor types lost most of their fun over the years and they don't give Eric so much as a word of encouragement.

And some days later, happy surprise! Eric got his fellowship; the same day Katy told him she was pregnant! Double surprise! Eric was thinking they couldn't go and Katy asked, "They have hospitals in Norway, don't they?"

Indeed they do, and later in the book we discover the Norwegians are light years ahead of nearly all Americans when it comes to giving birth. They say the American system is set up for the convenience of doctors, and they do far too many caesarians, which is true.

They took Norwegian lessons in Minnesota and found an apartment before they left. So they were as prepared as they could reasonably be.

On to Norway!

They moved into their apartment, which was disappointingly in a huge building, rather than a quaint, old, Norwegian house. Eric worked at a university. The rest of the book is about discovering Norwegian culture, their very fish based cuisine and the long, dark winter. They learn that Norwegians tend to be shy at first because of janteloven, a list of rules from a fictional town. They explore grocery stores and restaurants. They take the buy-lots-of-meat bus to Sweden with a crowd of elderly ladies.

They have dinner with friends at a local restaurant and Øyvind talks Eric in to eating rakfisk. I thought lutefisk took some getting used to! Rakfisk is fish, usually trout, that some rakfisk loving aficionado has buried and left to, shall we say, ferment for several months. Read the book for this exciting gastronomic adventure!

There's also a short chapter on the 17th of May celebration, Norway's Independence Day, which is called syttende mai. And a chapter where Eric and Katy going skiing with their baby son in tow inside a little covered sled. They take a cruise ship to the north of Norway to visit relatives. Part of the reason for going to Norway was to trace the trail of Eilif, Eric's great grandfather who emigrated from Norway.

This is a well written book and a fun, traveling in a chair adventure. Though as I read, I wished there were more dialogue. Well written dialogue brings a story to life! And I wanted to hear more from Katy. Certainly she has her own views on Norway. I also wanted to hear more about the children's parade on the 17th of May. The little children dress in historical costumes and form a parade with marching bands. That must be one of the cutest sights ever!

On the other hand, Eric has a flair for writing descriptions. That's a large part of why I enjoyed reading his book so much! And I enjoyed everything in this book, and there are very few books I can say that about! One very cold night, Eric trekked out into the frozen tundra of the northern Norwegian town of Bodø to buy diapers. He was just going from store to store looking for diapers, but his writing style turns it into a mini-adventure! And he discovered reindeer meat baby food. Those little touches make the story fun and fascinating and illustrate life in Norway.

All in all, a splendid book about Norway and well worth the read! If you enjoy discovering other cultures, you'll enjoy this book! And you don't have to be Norwegian.

I have read this book a couple of times and also sent it as a gift to a relative. Who knew Norway is oil-rich? I didn't! The book gives good insight into modern Norwegian culture. It is funny and very interesting as the author and his wife try to make there way in their new (ancestral) homeland. For instance: some Norwegians bundle their babies up and put them outside to sleep! I have been sleeping with my window open since I read this...evidently cold air is good for you. And I am desperate to try porridge! You will enjoy this book.

An enjoyable read. I love to hear people tell stories about their experiences living in cultures different than their own. However, I was very disappointed that the Kindle edition did not include photos, not even a cover photo. (Amazon is placing "Hardcover" next to the book title above my review. That is not correct, but I see no way to remove or change it. I read the book on Kindle.

If you are of Norwegian heritage, you will laugh yourself into a partial coma as you read about the year-long adventures of this family. Not Norwegian? That's OK. It's still really funny and might inspire you to take a trip to the beautiful Land of the Midnight Sun. It's also insightful into the Norwegian customs and way of life. It's easy reading because the author has a colorful (and funny) way of storytelling. It grabbed my attention from the very first page. I heartily recommend it!

In Cod We Trust: Living the Norwegian Dream by Eric Dregni - Interesting but flat narrative of a year spent in Norway. Did I learn more about Norway and Norwegian culture? Yes. Was I entertained? Barely. The author has the unfortunate ability to make what should be a humorous or exciting anecdote into a very bland retelling. Also the author had an annoying parochial attitude towards Norwegian culture, especially the food. If I were actually Norwegian, I would maybe be insulted. He writes about porridge with butter as if it is the world's most disgusting dining experience. He seems to have no understanding of traditional diets and their role in the history of the survival of a people in a harsh climate. Am I glad I read it? Yes. There is little to nothing else out there written (in English) on contemporary living in Norway.

I regret purchasing this collection of misleading factoids and distorted encounters. Hardly a page without nonsensical interpretations and factual errors.

The author seems to lack a filter for his social experiences and presents anecdotes as truth. How did he survive a year without "buying" a bridge or two?