I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson [Hardcover]

Joy K. Lintelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2009

Near the end of her life, Mina Anderson penned a lively memoir that helped Swedish novelist Vilhelm Moberg create "Kristina," the central female character of his beloved emigrant novels, a woman who constantly yearns for her homeland. But Mina's story was quite different.

Showcasing her previously untranslated memoir, "I Go To America" traces Mina's trip across the Atlantic to Wisconsin and then the Twin Cities, where she worked as a domestic servant, and her move to rural Mille Lacs County, where she and her husband worked a farm, raised seven children, and contributed to rural Swedish community life.

Mina herself writes about how grateful she was for the opportunity to be in America, where the pay was better, class differences were unconfining, and children--girls included--had the chance for a good education. In her own words, "I have never regretted that I left Sweden. I have had it better here."

Author Joy Lintelman greatly expands upon Mina's memoir, detailing the social, cultural, and economic realities experienced by countless Swedish women of her station. Lintelman offers readers both an intimate portrait of Mina Anderson and a window into the lives of the nearly 250,000 young, single Swedish women who immigrated to America from 1881 to 1920 and whose courage, hard work, and pragmatism embody the American dream.

Joy K. Lintelman is a professor of history at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota . Her specialties include immigration history and women's history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press; 1 edition (March 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873516362
• ISBN-13: 978-0873516365
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Scandinavian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Swedish immigration story, December 25, 2009

By 

Joy Skeers (Highlands Ranch, CO) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Hardcover)

I read about this book on a Facebook link called Swedish Passport. It said if you had a relative who immigrated from Sweden to the US between 1880-1920, this book would pretty much describe what life was like. I was curious and have a new admiration for my grandparents and their siblings. This is a history book, not a novel.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good grasp of the female Swedish immigrant., July 14, 2009

By 

Karna Olsson (Belfast, Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Hardcover)

"I Go to America" is much more than a retelling of Mina Anderson's life. The author has performed an amazing study of the Swedish woman's life in Sweden and subsequently in America following immigration. The book is well written and easy to read. This is a must for any person interested in Swedish-American history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Honoring Swedish Heritage, December 23, 2011

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a bit about a bunch - See all my reviews

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This review is from: I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for our church library, which is primarly made up of Swedish heritage. Can't wait to read it!