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!