THE THIRD LIFE OF PER SMEVIK -- Ole Rolvaag

Harper & Row -- tpb
New York -- 1971 -- 136pp
ISBN: 0-06-097076-6
translated by Ella Valborg Tweet and Solveig Zempel

Just before the turn of the century, a Norwegian immigrant writes letters home to describe his experiences.

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This book, in the form of one-sided letters (all FROM Per Smevik) sets a nice tone for the Norwegian immigrant in the mid-to-late 1800's. His letters are written either to his father, or his brother.

Although one-sided, we get a good sense of what the family thinks of this man's journey to America; what they like and what they didn't like about his being here.

I expected this to be a bit dry, but found the style very conversational and easy to read. At only 136 pages, it moves quickly.

I recommend this as an interesting read for those who might enjoy history, Scandinavian literature, or just something a little different.