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Anna Larsdatter: Hunger in the Dale
http://annalarsdatter.net
A genealogical-historical novel based loosely on my ancestors in Norway in the early 1800's. In poverty and hunger, my great-great grandmother was driven to steal potatoes and other food for her family of seven. For this she was sentenced to eight months in prison, where my great-grandfather was born. This much is fact. The rest, as they say, is fiction.
- Added on: Feb 24th, 2009
- Country: United States
- Language: English
Recent Posts
Title Change!
I didn’t get any reader suggestions, and didn’t come up with a better idea myself, so I have changed the title of the story in the simplest way possible; it now agrees with the change in the central character’s name. By February 201...
30. Party Time
So it was that Nels Poulsen and Anna Hansdatter were betrothed. It was a modest celebration in the late spring. All the farms were making sacrifices to help the victims of the deadly flood at Lower Skurdal, and were bracing themselves for a long summ...
29. Good news, bad news
Chapter 11 On the day after Easter, Anna’s father was buried. The river had fallen nearly to its normal level, exposing the massive destruction at Lower Skurdal. Entire fields were scoured bare, leaving only jumbles of rock and gravel. Two peas...
28. Dying Request
When Nels arrived at the compound, Peder Skurdal was at the forge, working with the blacksmith to repair the damaged hay-cart. He chafed at the interruption of his work, but knew he could not refuse. “All right,” he said. “You go on back. I wil...
27. Refuge
The wagon arrived at South Skurdal just as people were awakening. Evacuees from Lower farm were crowded into the servants’ quarters. Nels recruited two men to come along and help Hans down from the wagon at his hut. Once the old man was on the ...
26. Safe Harbor
When the boat reached the Lower Skurdal compound, only the dwelling-house was on dry land. The river had crested and was beginning to recede. In the light of the sheriff’s lantern, Anna could make out the second story of the stabur, and the roo...
