Farewell Norway

On May 17, 1837 the widow Gro Jonsdatter Rue and her son stood by the shore of Tinnsjøen in Telemark. Along with 57 others from the same rural community she was about to embark on the long journey to America. Almost a million Norwegians would follow in her footsteps.

Sverre Mørkhagen depicts this enormous migration in its full depth. By becoming closely acquainted with dramatic individual fates, we gain insight into what drove them over the sea. Much research has been done on this important period in Norwegian history, and the author has done an impressive job of transferring the knowledge thus gained into good storytelling. The book is amply illustrated.