Praise for Kristine, Finding Home
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Kristine, Finding Home is a story about resilience and dignity in the face of monumental life challenge. As Norwegian immigrants to America during the Great Depression, struggling with economic scarcity, Kristine and Fredrik were able to maintain a sense of human dignity - an invaluable legacy passed on to their daughters. This sense of dignity compelled them to cherish the Norwegian culture while ultimately embracing American citizenship and all that it offered. An entertaining and inspiring read!” Richard Staff, R.N., MSW and Norwegian - American Musician.
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“There are books you can nestle into and feel like part of the family. Kristine, Finding Home is one of those. From beginning to end, I was Kristine's little sister, listening to her, admiring her, sticking up for her at each turn of her fascinating life. From Norway to Illinois, Kristine's story captivates. It is a pleasure to read.” Judy Bridges, author, “Shut Up & Write!"
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“This is a wonderful story: endearing, heartfelt, informative, inspiring. Your characters are real and relatable. Fredrik the dreamer, the entrepreneur. Odny and Ruth, feisty and tough, yet vulnerable. And, of course, Kristine, who is “everywoman”: she’s smart, sensitive, calm, loving. (Her reactions to situations are SO spot-on.) Even the minor characters are believable. The quoted material at the beginning of each chapter really enriches the narrative, as do the Norwegian words. Thank you for bringing me into the lives of these interesting people.” Carolyn Kott Washburne, Journalist and Editor.
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From Norway today, “I have heard stories about Kristine and her journey to the States since I was a child. My grandmother, Margit, often told me stories over dinner at her kitchen table in her home in Førde. She lived only a few blocks away from The Kristiansen House and I remember well a photograph of her family outside that house, taken just days before Kristine left to join Fredrik in the US. I have made the same journey as Kristine did several times in my life. Kristine inspired her children to keep in contact with their relatives in Norway. We, Kristine and Elisa's great grandchildren, are therefore gratetful for the friendships we have with each other 3 generations later. ....Aleta writes well and I believe her book can be as interesting to others as it was to me. Because human migration is not a new thing, it is something that has happened throughout history. Everybody wants to make the best possible life for themselves and their children and this story, that started more than a 100 years ago in Norway, might not be that different from the stories we see on the news every night.” Olaug Marie Reiakvam, MD, Oslo, Norway, Great-great grand-niece of Kristine K. Hjelmeland.