Giants in the Earth — O.E. Rolvaag

First published in English in 1927, “Giants in the Earth” is the Norwegian novel by Norwegian-American author Ole Edvart Rolvaag which relates the struggles of a group of Norwegian immigrants to the Great Plains of America in the 1870s. A Norwegian fisherman, Per Hansa convinces his wife Beret to move with their three children to the Dakota Territory in order to build a homestead on the American frontier. Accompanied by several other Norwegian immigrants, Per Hansa is excited by the opportunity to build a life for himself in this new land while his wife longs for her homeland. What follows is a series of struggles and misfortunes which ultimately prove to be tragic for Hansa. “Giants in the Earth” is the classic story of the pioneering spirit of America and the American dream, which brought so many European immigrants to America during the 19th century, and the often harsh realities that they faced when they arrived.