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I encourage everyone to read book one first, "An Untamed Land", because it will give you a lot of the background of where this story begins. Life in the Dakotas in the late 1800s was not an easy life for those immigrants who traveled from Norway to obtain land in America. The Bjorklund family sent two of their sons to begin a new life, with their wives. This story is mainly about Ingeborg Bjorklund, who lost her husband and is trying to keep her land for her two small boys. Haakan Bjorklund shows up at her door one day announcing he has been sent to help her run her farm by his mother. Now Inge must decide if she can handle Haakan stepping in and taking over the run of the place, since she has been used to doing it all herself.

These two were meant to be together and I enjoyed watching them both learn how to handle the other. There are always other stories going on inside each book, so you also get to stay in touch with others you have come to know and love. Love how the author makes you feel the struggles and hardships of the land, but also the steadfastness and love these people showed to others and how their faith was something real and very much needed. ( )

Well worth reading again!

This story starts in the Minnesota north woods, February 1884 with Haakan Bjorklund watching a tree fall. The north woods was being leveled and his job was to remove the branches. As he worked he thought about the woman who ran the cookshack, not only was she a good cook, but he enjoyed spending time with her. During dinner he received mail from his mother that had been mailed 3 months ago. He accepted more coffee. The letter told of his cousins' deaths during a blizzard & flu epidemic in Dakota territory and asked him to go help their widows. When the sledge took them back to work, one of the men, Ears, said that he heard that Miz Landsverk, the cook, was already spoken for, but Haakan tried not to show any reaction. His friend, Swede, stood up for him. He worked so hard the others on his team thought he was trying to kill them with work! Haakan apologized as the snow started to fall. The driver would have to follow the felled trees to pick them up!

That night Haakan tried to catch Mrs. Landsverk's eye, & wondered if the rumors were true when he couldn't. The serving boy brought him an extra piece of pie, then left to give coffee to another man. He decided to write to his Far & Mor, it was short because they didn't really want to hear about logging, saying he'd consider going in the spring if he wasn't hired at the sawmill. Before he left he realized that Mrs. Landsverk hadn't joined him for coffee, as was her practice. The next morining when he got to the cookshack, Mrs Landsverk introduced him to an old friend, but he refused her offer of coffee. Her good news was that Reverend Jorge had been looking for her since his wife died, and they were to be married the next week. Some time after they left, the forman spoke to Haaman, wondering why he hadn't stopped the fights that had happened during the blizzard that kept them from working. Haaman's response that he hadn't been hired as a peacemaker didn't sit well, and the foreman told him that he wouldn't recommend him for work at the sawmill in the spring. One day the end of March Haakan had an accident while working. He was carried into the cookshack for Cookie to take care of him. He passed out while being stitched up and when he woke up Cookie asked his name, but he couldn't remember. Weeks later, when he was able to go back to work, the list of those working at the sawmill had been listed, and his name wasn't on it. He and Swede discussed their plans, Swede was going to a dairy farm where there was a girl he was interested in, though he wasn't sure if logging or marriage were better. When they left, Swede asked him to write when he found his land. Haaman set out to find the Widows Bjorklund. ( )

The amazing sequel to An Untamed Land. I loved this book just as much as the first one. I absolutely *love* Haaken. You grow so attached to the characters as the series goes on. Definitely a must read! ( )