Promise Fulfilled: A Portrait of Norwegian Americans Today

On October 9, 1825, the sloop Restauration sailed into New York harbor with the first fifty-three Norwegian immigrants to America. In the next 100 years over 800,000 people would leave Norway to become members of a proud new community in the United States. Today, the Norwegian American population numbers nearly 4 million -- almost as many people as live in Norway.

The Promise Fulfilled is an enlightening -- and not uncritical -- consideration of Norwegian American history, continuing the story begun in the bestselling The Promise of America. Prominent historian Odd S. Lovoll details where Norwegian Americans live, what kinds of jobs they hold, how their ethnic heritage is passed on, and to what extent their dreams of life in the United States have been fulfilled.

Lovoll researched historical documents, conducted an extensive questionnaire, and performed hundreds of follow-up interviews. He introduces us to wheat farmers in North Dakota, halibut fishermen in the Pacific Northwest, and carpenters in Brooklyn who all consider themselves Norwegian Americans. He interviews prominent Norwegian Americans, like Walter Mondale, and everyday people -- factory workers, at-home mothers, small-business owners, and teenagers. One unique aspect of The Promise Fulfilled is Lovoll's pioneering consideration of the social history of all seven generations of Norwegian Americans.

From the traditional luterisk dinners to civic activism, Lovoll uncovers the festive spirit of contemporary Norwegian American culture. This vibrant ethnic community, with large enclaves in New York City, California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Midwest, maintains ties through genealogy, family reunions, and a sharedculinary and arts and crafts heritage. Lovoll's lucid, engaging, and nuanced history will be essential reading -- and a popular gift for anyone interested in Scandinavian culture.