The Immigrant's Journey was written by Roger D Andersen and published in 2022. You can purchase it on Amazon/Kindle and you can visit the author on Amazon and on social media.
This novel hooked me from the beginning. I felt I was a part of Enok's incredible journey through a difficult, amazing and bountiful life.
Enok Opsal was born in 1890 in a small village near the southern tip of Norway. His family were poor potato farmers and they had lived there for many generations. Young Enok, known to many as "Nok-Nok", loved his home and family but when he turned sixteen, his imaginations and aspirations turned to America. Many Norwegians were migrating there by ship and Enok was soon ready to follow. Broke and in debt, his hardships were overwhelming, but he endured. The voyage was exciting, but the threat of disease and illness almost turned him back. After finally arriving in New York Enok looks for work and eventually finds work in Connecticut working on a tobacco farm, stoking coal on a ferry, driving a taxi and working in a stone quarry. The work is hard and difficult, but he is soon able to find his true calling and that is to build railroads out west and to help string electric lines to a young and growing nation. While in the process of doing all of this, he reunites with a young Norwegian girl, they marry and start a family. Enok's love of Norway never wavers, and his love of America remains strong as he builds a future for him and his family. Based on true events, this work of historical fiction hooked me from the beginning. From the wonders and excitements of youth to the wisdom and realities of old age, I felt I was a part of Enok's incredible journey through a difficult, amazing and bountiful life. The author captures the essence and struggles of what it means to be an American, born exclusively from immigrants who saw the greatness of what America could be, and never looked back. The richness of his words speaks directly to our emotions, and I found that once I got started, I couldn't stop turning the page. Another unique treasure of this story were the many photos that were inserted along the way. I am quite sure that Enok would be very proud of his grandson Roger Andersen and the story that he has told here. The Immigrant's Journey is a must read!
I give The Immigrant's Journey 5 out of 5 stars.
Roger D Andersen is a scheduled guest on The Writers Lounge Blog Talk Radio Show #137 on May 1, 2023.