Tag Archives: Troll Valley

‘In the Bleak Midwinter’

Not a bad lillejulaften (little Christmas Eve, as they call it in Norway). No great accomplishments chalked up, but I got a couple things done that I’d been putting off. Faced a minor appliance crisis – I learned it was a false alarm, though the diagnosis cost me a little. Still, I was expecting much worse. And I got paid for some translation, which always brightens a day.

“In the Bleak Midwinter” came to mind for a song tonight. Sissel sings, of course. Based on a poem by Christina Rossetti, it’s bald-faced anglicization of the Christmas story. Whether Jesus was born on December 25 or not (I like to think He was, just to annoy people) it certainly wasn’t in a snow-covered landscape. But our Christmas celebration isn’t only about the first Christmas (though it must be about that primarily). It’s also about the long tradition of commemoration we enjoy in the Christian tradition. Legends included. And in a tertiary way, about the traditions of our own tribes, whatever they may be. My tribe is Scandinavian, and we make kind of a big thing out of Christmas (for reasons I discuss in my novel Troll Valley).

Tomorrow I’ll bake pumpkin pies. No holiday is guaranteed, but this Christmas looks to beat last year’s all hollow, at least for this jolly old elf.

Hope it’s the same for you.

Troll Valley reviewed at Evangelical Outpost

And in all our excitement over Hailstone Mountain, let’s not forget Troll Valley. David Nilsen posted a flattering review today at Evangelical Outpost.

Part of that is due to Walker’s writing ability. He spends a good chunk of the first third of the book describing life and work on a farm in Minnesota, including extended passages just describing food, without ever losing the reader’s interest. Walker also has the fascinating ability to be witty, even humorous, while dealing with the darker aspects of life and the human condition.

Much appreciated.

Syttende Mai in Troll Valley



A postcard (“Yes, we love this land!”) promoting the 1905 independence referendum in Norway.

What could be more appropriate, as a commemoration of Syttende Mai, Norway’s glorious Constitution Day, than to publish a short excerpt from a classic work of Norwegian-American literature? I refer, of course, to Troll Valley by Lars Walker, which you can purchase right here, for Kindle (you Nook readers can find it at Barnes & Noble too).

There was much news from Norway in those years. Bestefar [Grandfather] had gotten a rene (pure) Norwegian flag (the plain one on the red field, instead of the “herring salad” one with the Swedish colors quartered in the upper left-hand corner), and we flew it proudly, side-by-side with the Stars and Stripes, in those days in the summer of 1905 when the Storting dissolved the Union with Sweden and the people voted for independence, and everyone held their breath wondering whether King Oscar would contest the results with force. Bestefar got misty-eyed as he handled the bunting. King Haakon VI of Norway was crowned in June 1906 (the Swedes having decided Norway wasn’t worth the unpleasantness, all said and done) and Bestefar went for a long walk after he set the flags out that day. That was also the year Roald Amundsen discovered the Northwest Passage.

Gratulerer med dagen, Norske venner!

Troll Valley reviewed at Land of Caleb

Caleb Land at Land of Caleb reviews Troll Valley.

Simply put, we need many, many more e-books like this one. Walker writes from a distinctly Christian worldview, but is able to avoid so much of the sentimentalist and moralistic errors of the majority of Christian fiction. This is a novel about the law and about grace. This is a novel about forgiveness and justification by faith, and about unmerited favor. That Walker is able to accomplish these things without being preachy and actually telling a compelling story is a testament to his growth as a writer and storyteller.

Troll Valley gets noticed

Our friend Frank Luke was kind enough to review Troll Valley for the men’s magazine of the Assemblies of God Church. You can read the review online here.

From what he says, it seems like a remarkable book. I’m not sure I recognize it, though.

Also, Joe Carter included Troll Valley in his occasional list of cheap Christian e-books, over at Touchstone Magazine’s Mere Comments blog.

Have a good weekend!

Phil’s Review of Troll Valley

A Fire in His EyesI finished Troll Valley last night, and like many of you, loved it. His characters have authentic voices and raise questions that are not clearly answered. His main character, Christian Anderson, follows a story arc somewhat similar to the priest of Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, being a sympathetic boy who grows into a despicable coward and returns to being sympathetic again. It’s a beautiful, challenging picture of divine grace (not like the one to the right here).

One of the pastors in Troll Valley reminds me of a preacher I know through family ties. He knows the Bible well and yet is so wrong on select issues that you wish you could push him to become either a wholly sound pastor or a ridiculous fanatic. You might trust him more if he was less complicated, but such complications make the story so good.

One brief scene from the book may illustrate this point. Christian slips into the underworld or faerie land a few times. You might even say the whole story is about how faerie land is breaking in on Chris’ life. One time, he sees a giant hammering away on the manacles tying him to the ground. He’s crying because he can’t get free, but when Chris asks him about it, he says he chained himself down so that he wouldn’t attack the beautiful children who were playing nearby. Now in his chains, he wrestles to get free and attack them. That complex conflict of the heart and will may be the key to Troll Valley. Christian and other characters are limited in ways that keep them healthy to a degree and restrained. They don’t know how to assert their desires in positive ways and chafe at their restrictions until they can no longer stand it. If and when they break free, they make a terrible mess of themselves. Can they handle the self-determination they seek? Some of the restrictions which bind them are not sound ones, which makes the binding worse, and that is one of the major themes that makes this novel wonderful. Continue reading Phil’s Review of Troll Valley

Troll Valley on sale (Kindle)

As promised, for you Kindle owners, Troll Valley is now available in that sacred format at Amazon.com.

As a side note, I e-mailed Andrew Klavan himself today, offering him a review copy, and he actually wrote back and said he’d like one. (Apparently I won his favor with my favorable review of Agnes Mallory.)

So you might say it’s a good day.

And now you know what to do with that Amazon gift card you got for Christmas!

Troll Valley on sale (Nook)

I’m going to try to do a splashier announcement when the Kindle version is available too, but for now Troll Valley is available for your Nook (plus a couple odd formats for phones and things, as I understand it) from Lulu.

I’m a Kindle guy myself, and strongly object to this discrimination in favor of Nook owners. I shall send myself a stiff letter of protest without delay.

Snippet Five, Troll Valley



The “Old Stone Church,” Kenyon, Minnesota. Photo: Lars Walker.



[The book is coming out soon. I promise. We’re that close. ljw]

THE PRESENT

“What the—what kind of crap is this?” Shane demanded.

“ʽCrap’ is an interesting word,” said Robert Swallowtail. “Very marginal. I might have to use the soap on you, just to be prudent.”

“I’m talking about this story. You realize what this means, don’t you?”

“It’s a little early in your reading to have discovered a theme.”

“The old man was crazy. All that stuff people said about him, what a great man he was, and all the time he was a loon from the moon. No wonder I got problems. It’s genetic!”

“You may find this hard to comprehend,” said Robert Swallowtail, “but the book is not about you.”



CHAPTER II THE HAUGEANS



They established Anderson & Co., Inc. of Epsom, Minnesota that summer, manufacturers (then) of the Anderson Viking Separator and (eventually) of the Anderson Reaper and the Anderson Traction Engine, first steam then gasoline. The year was 1900, a good round number for our lives to pivot on. I celebrated my eighth birthday on Sunday, September 30.

It was a cool, fine morning. I remember the pinch of my knickerbockers below the knees, and the scraping of the hard brush Mother used on my hair. One of my most enduring impressions of childhood is how much everything hurt. Being young was like being an unhealed wound.

I’m going to take you to church with us now. I know that’s bad manners. But if you’ve come this far and want to know what our lives were like, you need to understand about our church. Continue reading Snippet Five, Troll Valley