Customer Reviews

An Untamed Land (Red River of the North #1)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The grueling life of this Norwegian pioneer family made me so thankful for all the blessings in my modern life. They had so few material possessions, worked so hard, endured such hardships, but yet maintained their faith in God, the most important possession anyone can have. I've read all of the books of this series, but this one stands out above them all.

This book was almost too real. The Christian characters were far from perfect and very believeable. It offered true insight into the hardships of settling a new land in the 1800's, much more than Little House on the Prairie, in that you could see and feel the struggle and sacrifices in their life. It was riveting and I can't wait to read the next one.

"An Untamed Land" was VERY enjoyable. It was exactly the way it was. I am sure because of the stories I've heard from my mother and her many relatives who grew up as Norwegian North Dakota farmers. Uff-da, the characters even speak Norwegian occasionally. Anyone from this heritage will get tears in their eyes and a lot of joy.

I thought this book was a great book for people interested in romance, history, immigrants/emmigrants, life on the prairie, and raising a family in the 1800's. It was terrific and I look forward to finishing the series! You should too!

I read this book almost two years ago, but I still remember how much it captured my attention. I think what made the book so interesting is the fact that it didn't create a phony atmosphere. Everything was so real and their problems were so crushing that I think I better understood what a hard life many immigrants went through. I appretiate the spiritual side of the book too. I think it's a great witness when writers use Jesus Christ as a key player in their character's lives. I have also read the next two books in the series and am looking forward to the third. I have a lot more to say of the book, but I'll leave it at this; it's a great book for people interested in history and in love with great reading!

This book is really a tear jerker!!!! I won't give it away but you can feel all the hardships that Kaaran and Ingeborg go through as the make their way towards their promised land. I would just like to know, When is there going to be a movie?

In 1999 I bought this book for my Norwegian mother who later passed it on to my Asian wife. They both loved the book. I have continued to buy later books in the Snelling's Norwegian immigrant series as gifts to this day (April 2010) which now comprises sixteen books, plus four ancillary works in the same genre (the Dakotah Treasures series). I started reading An Untamed Land myself in 2008 and I am now starting on my eleventh "Bjorklund" book.

Reviwers would categorize these books as Christian chick lit, so what is a man doing reading them? It started with curiosity because of the Norwegian connection, in addition to my interest in European 19th century immigration to North America. In this world of much pessimism, violence, cynicism, family disconnection, Hollywood hype and disbelief in the Divine I thought it might be worthwhile to spend some time with positive, character-building, and inspirational, family oriented literature. Lauraine Snelling knows how to write books infused with elevated human values and the emotions that accompany doubts, trials, depression and tragedies as well as joys and celebrations.

I must say that I was quite disappointed by this first books lack of genealogical research and historical integrity. I can't understand how Snelling could venture into this project without getting information verified by Norwegians. Since I found myself editorializing as I was reading this spoiled some of my reading pleasure and it became a sufficient irritation for me so I began to mark the book whenever I met with these distractions. Here are some examples (apply also to the second volume, A New Day Rising):

The worst errors concern personal names, first names as well as last, many of which are improvised and inauthentic. For a starter, the Bjorklund (Bjørklund, Swedish Björklund) name has historically been ten times more prevalent in Sweden than in Norway. In the same vain, surnames which Snelling consistently ends in the patronymic "son" (e.g. Knutson, Johnson, Olsson, Hanson, Thorlakson, Hjelmson, Sjornson, Peterson) are thus marked by their Swedish origins. Norwegian patronyms end in "sen." Quite a number of names in the books have quaint spellings incompatible with Norwegian lore. One might wonder why the author didn't use a Minnesota or Dakota's telephone book to choose common traditional names. The spelling of Carl, rather than Karl, is also commonly Swedish. The spelling of Kaaren, with two a's, is nonexistent in Norway; Karen is correct. Thorliff may be Icelandic but is definitely not Norwegian. The correct form would be Torleif or Thorleif. Thorly would not be his nickname but Tor/Thor or Leif. To be authentic Gunhilde should be Gunhild. Bridget was not a 19th century Norwegian name; Birgit would be. Andrew is not a name new Norwegian immigrants would name their son; Anders or Andreas would be. Haakan should be Haakon or Hakon. Hjelmer is a nonexistent name; should be Hjalmar. Hamre is nonexistent. Soren is named as the wife of Johann Bjorklund but it (Søren) has always been a man's name, never a woman's! Katja was not a 19th century Norwegian girl's name, but German or Russian; Kaja would be Norwegian. In reference to the city of Oslo it was called Christiania up until its name changed in 1925.

As far as "norsk" is concerned, why did Snelling not take the time to ask a Norwegian and get it right? "E Jesu naven gor vi til brod," should be "I Jesu navn gaar vi til bords." "Takk fer matten (meaning the mat!)," should be "takk for maten (the meal)." "Hu tu me tu!" should be "hutte meg tu!" "Mor's den lille gutten," is insensible; it should be "mors lille gutt." The expression "uff da"--popularized in America--is way overused. Normally it is correctly uttered light-heartedly. It wrongly trivializes a situation when used in a serious context. "Mange takk," is also overused. "Takk," or "takk, takk," or "takk for det," or "takk skal du ha," are other variants which could have been used in between. From the start, Ingeborg frequently refers to Thorliff as "den lille," which means "that little one," which lacks gender. In most cases, in his presence, it should be "du lille," meaning "you, little one." When Carl goes shopping in New York City, he asks for "egg" and "melk" and amazingly is NOT understood when the English of these words is pronounced similarly! In all the Bjorklund books the German and Norwegian languages are presented as conversationally easy for speakers of either language to be understood by each other. This is a complete fallacy.

In this book we are told that the Bjorklund clan hails from Valdres which is a mountainous landlocked inland valley in southern Norway. But the menfolk are fishermen and refer to working on fishing boats, which can not be related to Valdres. In the second book, inexplicably, the Bjorklunds' origin shifts to Nordland in northern coastal Norway, which then does fit in with the reference to ocean fishing.

Ingeborg goes bird hunting with the same rifle used for deer. The birds would have exploded! She should have used a shotgun. The native half breed who befriends them they call Metis but in subsequent books the spelling changes to Metiz. Burning deciduous trees does not produce pitch; conifers do. Deciduous trees have sap. Unlike what the author states evergreen trees were not uncommon in the Dakotas before land was cleared extensively. The Bjorklunds' first sod house is only twelve by fourteen feet, which was common, but as the story progresses it would have been impossibly small for all the people, furnishings and activities described. Incredibly it states three men could build the sod house in one day, including the roof and finish raising the walls for the barn the next day! Oh, and contrary to what is stated numerous times, ducks do not fly in a V-formation and mosquitoes do not buzz around in the late fall. And, chairs can not be "pushed back" on a dirt floor. They must be lifted. These are some of the more obvious errors.

Fortunately most readers of this book will not be distracted as I was by any of the above. Now having completed my tenth book I can say that occasions to become irritated diminish greatly with each subsequent book. I give Snelling credit for keeping readers' attention from beginning to end. They can easily feel involved with the characters' personal relationships and the drama of their experiences. There are hardships and tragedies but also happiness, comfort and joy. Each book introduces more children and unique characters, having personalities we probably recognize from our own life journey. There is no lack of tension and conflict but love and co-operation usually win the day. I recommend this first book but perhaps more for its necessary groundwork, establishing the Bjorklunds in Dakota Territory, than for what it has to offer on its own.

'An untamed land' was one of the best books I have ever read. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys good, quality historical fiction. Mrs. Snelling definately has a gift for writing. I have just finished the sequel, 'A new day rising', and I can't wait to read 'A land to call home'. I love the way Mrs. Snelling incorporates the Lord into her books. So many Christian authors today don't bother to write about Jesus Christ,it's refreshing to read a book that centers around Him! Mrs. Snelling, all I can say is, please write more!

An entertaining read, and the author has done her homework on the life and times of people in the late 1800's. This descriptive story is about Norwegian emigrants/pioneers on their way to farm land in the the Red River Valley of North Dokota. The details of life back then are so vivid and I have fallen in love with the characters. Couldn't pick up he sequel fast enough... Enjoy!

Ingeborg is a courageous young woman. Even though she lost her husband she eventually come back to God. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about courage and strength. Way to go Lauraine!