Unto a Good Land

Emigrant, Book 2

Considered one of Sweden's greatest twentieth-century writers, Vilhelm Moberg created the characters Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson to portray the joys and tragedies of daily life for early Swedish immigrants in America. His consistently faithful depiction of these humble people's lives is a major strength of the Emigrant Novels.

Moberg's extensive research in the papers of Swedish emigrants in archival collections enabled him to incorporate many details of pioneer life. First published between 1949 and 1959 in Swedish, these four books were considered a single work by Moberg, who intended that they be read as documentary novels. These reprint editions contain introductions written by Roger McKnight of Gustavus Adolphus College, and they restore Moberg's bibliography not included in earlier English editions.

The second book in the series, Unto a Good Land, opens in the summer of 1850 as the emigrants disembark in New York City. Their journey to a new home in Minnesota Territory takes them by riverboat, steam wagon, Great Lakes steamship, and oxcart to Chisago County.

©1952 Vilhelm Moberg; Translation copyright 1954 by Gustaf Lannestock; New material copyright 1995 by the Minnesota Historical Society (P)2024 Tantor

So long ago but so much like me in ways.

Many hardship recorded but a kindly historical novel. I understand that hardship were worse but I appreciate this happy story myself. It is well written & the characters memorable.