A historical novel about the Swedish emigration to America in the beginning of 1900s.
Alfred is only five years old when his father dies in 1890. His mother inherits the lonely and difficult task of managing their little farm in Skane, in the southern part of Sweden. After finishing school, Alfred is trained to be a tailor in the city of Helsingborg. At the end of his apprenticeship, he is attracted by what he hears about greater opportunities in America.
In 1903 Alfred convinces his brother Martin to leave the safety of Sweden for thrilling experiences and alluring places in America. Alfred is faced with dramatic turmoil in Chicago’s ethnic melting pot, he searches for gold in the Alaskan arctic and witnesses the murderous wild west coast.
At the same time, Rosalie lives a much calmer and refined life as a housemaid in Connecticut. She has emigrated from a poor croft, close to where Alfred grew up, to become familiar with the environment around well-off families in New England.
The Swedish Tailor and Adventurer is a historical novel, based on true events and facts. The fates of these young emigrants, Alfred and Rosalie, whose lives eventually intersect, are portrayed in a century that was young and optimistic.
For many years, the Swedish author Rolf Johansson has conducted family and history research focusing on the decades around the turn of the 20th century. He has compiled a historical novel based on ancestral emigration adventure by studying authentic American letters and traveling around America in his main characters’ footsteps.
The book is a real page-turner and gives so much to the reader. Historical facts that are presented before each chapter and photos of the main characters and their interactions, enhance the storyline. I read Moberg’s four books on Emigration once in a while and it’s now over 20 years ago … But I still remember the joy and inspiration that existed between pages of those books. Finally, I’ve found a book that gives me that feeling all over again! (MyLovedBooks, Instagram)
This novel was originally published in Swedish as Skarddare och AEventyrare . The English translation was made by Bonnie G Pattison.
Author webpage: www.tailorandadventurer.com
