A New Day Rising by Lauraine Snelling is the second of the Red River of the North Series. I loved this book as much as I did the first. This book continues with the Bjorklund family.
In this novel, Ingeborg Bjorklund, a widow and mother of two young boys, struggles to keep her farm and family together. Living in a soddy on the Dakota Territory prairie in the 1880’s is tough for anyone, but for a woman without a husband, mere existence can be overwhelming.
Family in Norway has written to their timber man son, Haakan, a distant cousin of Ingeborg’s late husband, that Ingeborg desperately needs help. Haakan’s job in the Dakota north woods is a winter occupation, so he sets out to give Ingeborg help with the heavy field work for the planting and harvest seasons, but plans to return to the work he loves in time for winter logging.
Haakan finally arrives, a godsend to Ingeborg. Although she is relieved to have the help, Ingeborg resents having her independence threatened. On the other hand, there is no denying the attraction she begins to feel for him.
In the meantime, another relative, Ingeborg’s late husband’s younger brother, is also encouraged to go to Ingeborg’s aid, and he sets out from Norway. His trip is delayed with one mishap after another, but his expectations never waver, thinking that once he arrives, he will take over his brother’s farm. Who knows, he might acquire his brother’s widow, too.
Misunderstandings, accidents and complications arise, making A New Day Rising a powerful read. Lauraine Snelling does a remarkable job of describing the flat, fertile farmland of the Red River Valley, and its first Norwegian settlers. The Red River of the North is an amazing series. I can hardly wait to read the third novel.
