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7th out of 39 books
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34 voters
Oleanna
by
Julie K. Rose (Goodreads Author)
Set during the separation of Norway from Sweden in 1905, this richly detailed novel of love and loss was inspired by the life of the author's great-great-aunts.
Oleanna and her sister Elisabeth are the last of their family working their farm deep in the western fjordland. A new century has begun, and the world outside is changing, but in the Sunnfjord their world is as sma...more
Oleanna and her sister Elisabeth are the last of their family working their farm deep in the western fjordland. A new century has begun, and the world outside is changing, but in the Sunnfjord their world is as sma...more
Paperback, Second, 274 pages
Published
January 23rd 2012
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Oleanna
dedication For Janis Terry Hunt Nelson
Norway National Day - 17th May
Spring 2013
pub 2012
hist fic period piece
opening: Lake Jölster, Sunnfjord, Norway. May 1905
Oleanna Tollefsdatter Myklebost was beset by ghosts: winter ice in her veins, chill and stiff even during the long summer days of the midnight sun.
Not the read I wanted. This was an undemanding romance/beach trinket set in 1905 with the politics merely alluded to.
Ole Bull founded a utopian 'New Norway' in PA, USA:
Bull visited the U...more
dedication For Janis Terry Hunt Nelson
Norway National Day - 17th May
Spring 2013
pub 2012
opening: Lake Jölster, Sunnfjord, Norway. May 1905
Oleanna Tollefsdatter Myklebost was beset by ghosts: winter ice in her veins, chill and stiff even during the long summer days of the midnight sun.
Not the read I wanted. This was an undemanding romance/beach trinket set in 1905 with the politics merely alluded to.
Ole Bull founded a utopian 'New Norway' in PA, USA:Bull visited the U...more
I really liked this book. It had a good story, good characters and an interesting setting. I think one of the marks of a good book is when you aren't ready to leave the characters when the book ends. I was most definitely not ready to leave Oleanna when the book ended. I wanted to see what happens to her. Is she happy? Will she ever change her mind?
Oleanna is a fabulous character. She's strong but personable and definitely the sort of character that you find yourself rooting for. While Oleanna i...more
Oleanna is a fabulous character. She's strong but personable and definitely the sort of character that you find yourself rooting for. While Oleanna i...more
When this book ended, I contemplated flipping back to the start in order to begin again. I absolutely didn't want to leave the characters I had come to like so much.
Set in early 20th century Norway, this novel drew me in immediately with the heartbreaking story and quiet, intense characters. Oleanna and her sister Elizabeth are left on their isolated farm in southern Norway after their brother emigrates to the U.S. Already too familiar with loss -- tragic deaths, ended engagements, the absence o...more
Set in early 20th century Norway, this novel drew me in immediately with the heartbreaking story and quiet, intense characters. Oleanna and her sister Elizabeth are left on their isolated farm in southern Norway after their brother emigrates to the U.S. Already too familiar with loss -- tragic deaths, ended engagements, the absence o...more
3 likes
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This quiet, profound book explores the still depths of grief and loss, yet it ends with a sense of hope and a realization of what constitutes home. Many of my recent reads have been more like shallow rapids, so I found this book to be deeply refreshing. The protagonist is as richly realized a character as I have encountered in quite a while, and the subsidiary characters are equally individual. These are people you feel you really know by the end of the book, in all their complexity and many-fac...more
This is a novel of landscapes - physical, political and emotional. It has the unusual and beautiful setting of Norway, at an unsettled time in its history. The lives of Oleanna and Elisabeth are also unsettled. Their brother is shortly to leave them for America, but they must stay and look after the farm. The arrival of Anders causes further ripples in their demanding but rhythmic lives that follow the seasons. This is something I can sympathise with as a farmer. The weather and the needs of the...more
How important is the imprint of place on our lives? What lasting effects do seasons, topography, and nature have on our feelings of home? Who has marked our souls with love, loss, and memories that linger like ghosts, those animating spirits for good or bad that occupy our thoughts? These are some of the multi-layered themes of OLEANNA, a story of love and longing for the land.
Julie K. Rose's novel is set in Norway on the cusp of independence from Sweden after 600 years. The time is 1905. In thi...more
Julie K. Rose's novel is set in Norway on the cusp of independence from Sweden after 600 years. The time is 1905. In thi...more
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Oleanna is aptly titled, as it is the story of Oleanna. So many books proclaiming to be about one character wind up being about several secondary characters as well. Not so with this book. We are with Oleanna, we see the others through her eyes, and feel them with her emotions, but it is her story. She is coming afraid and also coming alive with every page of the story. The imagery was unbelievable. I could almost feel the cold Norwegian air, even see my breath as Oleanna and I sat around a fire...more
On the cover of this book I'm quoted with the following: "Rose brings a time of historic change to life through passionate characters and lush prose. Oleanna is a true labor of love." I stand by that. I'm all about good description and interesting characters, but more than anything I love to see a story that is clearly a product of the author's deep love for a place and time. Oleanna is definitely one of those stories.
Oleanna was a book about the land and place my own grandfather came from in 1918. Sogn og Fjordane (south Fjord)and Sunnifjord have stark
and beautiful landscapes; in the early 20th century,it was the
homeland its natives were escaping in droves.
Oleanna herself attempted to follow her 2 brothers to America and decided against it even as the opportunity was available to her. The land and the life she was used to called her back. It is a beautiful story of a haunting place and the contrast betwee...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This novel caught my eye for one specific reason…..the setting. Normally, I read a lot of historic fiction that is set in England, America, or France…..but mostly England. England tends to be the favorite setting for most historical fiction novels and why not, it’s full of history!
But after a while, one can’t help but wonder what else is out there beyond the UK in the world of HF? Enter Oleanna.
I was astonished at the breathtaking use of setting! Norway sounds absolutely stunning! The flourishin...more
But after a while, one can’t help but wonder what else is out there beyond the UK in the world of HF? Enter Oleanna.
I was astonished at the breathtaking use of setting! Norway sounds absolutely stunning! The flourishin...more
I didn't expect to get sucked into this story of a family in 1905 Norway, but the main character (Oleanna) is so conflicted and so well drawn that I couldn't help it. All of the characters are contradictions fighting against themselves as much as each other. The setting is gorgeous and still and isolated and strikes perfectly true. It's no Little House on the Prairie--it's far too grown-up for that--but it captures a lot of the same issues, only told from the side of the people left behind, both...more
I truly loved this book. Knowing it came from Julie's heart and family only added to the depth of the characters. I've never been to Norway, yet I could easily imagine every scene--the lush descriptions brought the characters and scenery vividly to my mind. This is a well-researched and beautifully written story. Love and loss are treated as sacred, and I genuinely cared about both the characters and the nation, as it went through its own metamorphosis. Whoever said, "when love and talent come t...more
I just finished reading Julie K. Rose's book "Oleanna," and I feel refreshed. The story follows a woman through loss and love, politics and poverty, and throughout it all, sets the scene quietly in Norway. I often felt as though I was reading poetry: the language was languid and lush and so very evocative. I haven't got a single Norwegian root, but I found myself wishing for them, wishing I had a farm to visit and ghosts of my own. As another reviewer mentioned, the letter from Julie's grandfath...more
This lovely little novel was my introduction to Norwegian historical fiction, and I really enjoyed it. It's a beautifully written story crafted around characters based on the authors ancestors, Oleanna and Elizabeth, two sisters left holding the pieces of their family's farm after a series of tragedies. Oleanna is the older sister, a young woman struggling to hold on to the only way of life she's ever known while the lure of the ever-widening world and the opportunities it holds draws her friend...more
I received this book through the First Reads program, directly from the author. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!
My feelings about this book are mixed. I spent half the book feeling irritated by Oleanna and her refusal to leave her farm, until I realized she kind of reminded me of myself. She wouldn't leave at the potential expense of losing her true love. I can relate somewhat to that. My true love compromised with me and we stayed within 175 miles of my family, but it...more
My feelings about this book are mixed. I spent half the book feeling irritated by Oleanna and her refusal to leave her farm, until I realized she kind of reminded me of myself. She wouldn't leave at the potential expense of losing her true love. I can relate somewhat to that. My true love compromised with me and we stayed within 175 miles of my family, but it...more
Reading Oleanna was like taking a breath of fresh air. Julie has crafted a compelling story that takes place in Norway in 1905 and evokes a strong tie between a family and everyday life of the farm they work and live on. She also creates a strong sense of place and culture that blends beautifully with the story.
Oleanna and her sister Elisabeth are the last of their family. The remaining two brothers have left for America, leaving them behind. The farm is all the sisters really have ever known a...more
Oleanna and her sister Elisabeth are the last of their family. The remaining two brothers have left for America, leaving them behind. The farm is all the sisters really have ever known a...more
To quote a very close friend I am a reader not a writer...
Oleana was a fairly quick read, but not with out some fortitude to push through the beginning...
At the start I was trying to fall into the geographical location on the side of a mountain in Norway.
I found my own lack of knowledge left me totally lost as to the political climate, local nationality and jargon.
I stumble through the mountain with the lead character.
I didn't really feel like I understood her until we venture away from home. A...more
Oleana was a fairly quick read, but not with out some fortitude to push through the beginning...
At the start I was trying to fall into the geographical location on the side of a mountain in Norway.
I found my own lack of knowledge left me totally lost as to the political climate, local nationality and jargon.
I stumble through the mountain with the lead character.
I didn't really feel like I understood her until we venture away from home. A...more
This was a highly enjoyable read! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down! I became quite invested in these characters very quickly. At first, I wasn't sure I even liked Oleanna or her sister much, however, as the story unfolded and I learned more of their family's recent tragedies, I began to understand their motivations and struggles. The isolated setting seemed to be a character all on its own; perfectly reflecting the lives of these women. I loved the historic glimpse into life in the fjor...more
Complete review available at http://darleneelizabethwilliamsauthor...
Mar 14, 2012
Amanda Waters
marked it as to-read
recommended by Reading the Past
I know very little about Norway, and it started out kind of slow, but my goodness, parts of this book absolutely took my breath away. The writing is marvelous, the characters just complicated enough to keep you wondering, and the descriptions of the mountains, the small cities in the early 1900s were simply riveting.
We are proud to announce that this book has been honored with a 2012 B.R.A.G.Medallion - telling you that this book is well worth your time and money!
Oleana is as insular and beautiful a novel as the Norway of the early twentieth century in which it is set. Like all good stories Oleanna is about many things, and this is a story not only of one young woman's experiences, but also of change, the consequences of our decisions, and about loss and grief. The novel tells a compelling tale that concludes in hope and the power of the place we call home. Highly recommended.
1 like
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The book was written very well but at times it seemed a little bit slow. It was an interesting story with a very different background which was fun for me t read.
May 08, 2013
Vicki Seamons
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Jennifer
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2013
Liza Perrat
marked it as to-read
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I'm an author of historic and contemporary fiction, and I'm particularly interested in the intersection of the spiritual and secular, the supernatural and the everyday, the past and the present, and the deep, instinctual draw of the land.
I am a proud member of the Historical Novel Society, current co-chair of the HNS Northern California chapter, and former reviewer for the Historical Novels Review...more
More about Julie K. Rose...
I am a proud member of the Historical Novel Society, current co-chair of the HNS Northern California chapter, and former reviewer for the Historical Novels Review...more
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