[.ca] The Boat of Longing (ISBN 0873511840)

A poetic novel:
This book was meant to be the first of a three-part saga, similar to Rolvaag's other saga, Giants in the Earth. Having written this first part of the series, Rolvaag switched to writing the Giants in the Earth series; unfortunately, he died before he had the chance to finish this incredibly beautifully written series -- so it ends up being a permanent cliff-hanger, which will likely haunt the reader. The writing in this book is, in my humble opinion, lyrical, poetic, moving and compelling. The book is about a young Norwegian immigrant who comes to America. Gradually, he loses touch with his parents, who have stayed in Norway. His father, who could probably be described as lovable but antisocial, comes to America but ... well, if I told you what happens, it would spoil it for you. The book contains some references to Norwegian folklore, but the folklore is shrouded is some mystery; I suspect that Rolvaag intended to flesh out the meaning of the Longing Boat later in his series. Though I read the book about 8 years ago, I still remember the images that it evoked and long to know what Rolvaag had planned for the rest of the series.