Why We Raise Belgian Horses — Kathryn Judson

When famine threatens a small fishing village in 19th century Norway, some families leave, and others send family members away, until the emergency is over. Among those sent off are 17-year-old Lars and his little brother Torvald, who go to America to live with their Uncle Anders in Dakota Territory. Lars finds that being an immigrant has its challenges, and being a pioneer has its challenges, and being a young man looking ahead to finding a wife has its challenges. As if all that weren't enough, when he buys his first horse, he accidentally buys a horse that turns him into a laughingstock. But Uncle Anders won't let him sell the horse - for one thing, they've been short of horses and need a new horse, and for another, Uncle Anders is not one to let people push him, or anyone under his roof, into doing anything. But that crazy, laughable horse is just about to become far more important than anyone could imagine, on a Christmas Eve the world gets turned upside down.