Between Rocks and Hard Places

by Ann Urness Gesme

used book, history, reference

Genres: History, Nonfiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1993

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Fall of 2017 I had the opportunity to travel to Norway with my wife, celebrating our 30th anniversary. Her heritage is Norwegian; while she had been to Norway before I had not, and so I learned many things, saw many places, and truly enjoyed my first exposure to this beautiful land. This book by Ann Gesme, while now a bit dated, was a wonderful follow up to this visit. Written simply and straightforwardly, she walks through, chapter by chapter, some of the main cultural issues and realities of Norwegian history and culture - farming, churches, marriage, education, travel - as well as huge realities here in the United Status such as Norwegian emigration, new life in a new land, and the challenges of how Norwegians have named themselves that present challenges for lineage study.

A concise read, a person can learn a lot about Norwegian culture, history and traditions very quickly from the insights of this book. A very good book for those who wish to learn more about Norwegians beyond Ole and Lena jokes.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read about Norwegians. Written by Ann Urness Gesme who grew up in Dane County, one of the early Norwegian immigrant settlements in Wisconsin.
Chapter 1- Norway,
Chapter 2- The Norwegian People
Chapter 3- The Norwegian Farm and Farmer
Chapter 4- Homes of Rural Norway
Chapter 5- The Church in Norway
Chapter 6- Courting and Marriage
Chapter 7- Education in Norway
Chapter 8- Transportation, Travel, & Communication
Chapter 9- Trading and Markets
Chapter 10- Emigration from Norway
Chapter 11- The Norwegian Immigrant Community in the United States
Chapter 12- Norwegian Naming Traditions
Biography

I am resarching my husband's Norwegian family and this book has a lot of information about the Norwegians before they came to the United States. It is a good book for those doing genealogy. I was impressed with the record keeping the Norwegians did. I also did not know they were under Danish rule for a long time.
I gave it a 5 * rating.

[Sharon Inscore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book YEARS ago! I started doing genealogy research on the Norwegian side of my family about 3 years ago and if I had read this book BEFORE I started the research, I would have had many questions already answered. Ann Gesme's book is easy to understand, flows well, and she took a lot of effort to be factual and correct.

[Sandra Holladay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the culture of inland Norway. My people came from Oppland so this gives me a glimpse into what their life must have been like. Recommended for anyone researching their Norwegian ancestors or who wants to know what life was like during the time covered by the book.

[Sharon Arends · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting look into the reasons for the large number of Norwegian immigration to the US in the late 1800's. A great resource for history.

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

One can tell Ann Gesme did extensive research in writing this book. My father was 100% Norwegian, and I feel fortunate to have been able to visit the farm my great great grandparents and their family of six children emigrated from in 1859. Mrs. Gesme’s book gave me more understanding of what this family’s life would have been like in Norway and what life was like in much earlier times for Norwegian families. The book was a little dry at times, but it was interesting to learn about the marriage customs, education, rural life, hardships, and family life in general. The book ended a little abruptly but contained a wealth of information.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of Norwegian customs and culture. Wish I would have read it before doing any genealogy research to add depth to understanding the significance of dates and family connections. Will keep close and use a reference going forward.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

My interest in this book came from having grown up among Norwegians and being married to a man who grew up in a town that sociologists in the 30s said was "more Norwegian than Norway itself" at that time. It's a quick read and I learned some interesting things.