Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-04
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the BOokloUer

CHuAblAiCHU ACCdCo lOI Jlob QUILL O. Oi6
novel. He was Norwegian; he IS
American. He was born in 1875 on
the bleak, almost treeless island Of
Donna. In the district of Helgeland.
Norway, only little south of the Arctic
Circle. His name there was Petersen,
because his fathers name was Peder,
but on coming to America he ex-
changed the patronymic for a place
name and called himself RolVaag, after
the granite-Walled cove at the head of
which his father lived. In his novel
Per HenSen and Hans Olsen do the
same thing and become. as Americans,
Peter Holm and Hans Vaag Rolvaag' S
family and neighbors were all fisher
men and fished in the open sea in
Summer and went off in larger boats
to the Lofoten Islands in Winter. When
he was Is, Rolvaag himself had his
first experience OF the bitter cold, the
icy storms, the hardships and dangers
OF Lofoten Winter. He disliked the
life and was saddened every year by
the accidents and illnesses which took
q heavy toll among his friends and
which he himself narrowly escaped: but
he continued going until he was 90
because he had been pronounced hope
less as regarded education. He had all
ways read eagerly all the books he
could find in the government precinct
library, but vas never able to learn
much at the school, miles away
from his home, across wind-sWep'
moors, which he attended nine weeks
year for seven years. When he was
IA his father decided that further
schooling would be wasted upon him
But he seems to have been a good
fisherman. for when at the age of 20 he
decided to go to America. the master
fisherman for whom he had worked
offered to put him in command of a
boat OF his own. He thought 1t over
and was firm in his determination to
try America.
Landing in New York in 1896 with
only dime In his pocket, he set out for
South Dakota on the ticket sent him
by an uncle. One loaf Of bread. with
no butter. jam or honey. furnished his
only food on the three days journey
At the end of the railway journey
forlorn. hungry. knowing no English
he walked for hours through the night
over the spreading prairie. to reach his
uncle's farm. And then he found that
he did not like farming any better than
fishing. but he worked at it for three
years. Then. without much hope. fol-
he was obsessed by the family verdict
on his stupidity. he decided TO make
another attempt for an education. He
entered a grammar school in Canton
S. OAK. at the age of %. There he
soon discovered the injustice which had
been done him by removing him from
school. for he learned with such rapid
ity that he almost alarmed himself. In
two years he vas able TO enter st. Olaf
College. at Mortified, MINI. where he
was graduated with honors in 1905
Borrowing a small sum. he went back
TO Norway and took graduate work at
the University of Oslo for a year. On
r. return to America. he became a
member of the faculty of St. Olaf Col
lege. where he now holds the chair OF
Norwegian literature His writing be-
gan during his senior year at ST. Ola!
and has been steadily continued. He
has published six novels. volume OF
essays, and several readers and hand
books of Norwegian literature and
grammar. But all Of these were writ
ten in Norwegian. published by s
Minnesota firm. and circulated only
among observation-disclosures. In 1928
Rolvaag secured q years leave OF alb
sence from his college and began work.
In Norwegian. on Giants in the Earth, .
During the year he revisited Norway
and there met the world-known novel
list. Johan Boier, whose novel, The
Emigrants," published at about the
same time, bears so much resemblance
to Giants in the Earth" In talking
with Boier, Rolvaag found that their
points OF view were very different
Bojer saw the Observation-Disclosures
problem from the point Of view OF
Norway. Ro!vaag from that Of America
The first book of Giants IN the
Earth" called The Land-Taking,
was published in Norway In 1924. The
second book, Founding the Kingdom,
appeared a year later. The complete
novel has gone through many editions
in Norway and has resulted IN placing
Rolvaag among the foremost present
day Norwegian writers The transla.
ton from the Norwegian was published
in the United States In 1927.
A wear ago there died al Bagdad an
Englishwoman about whom had grown
up a body Of stories. true and invented
suggestive Of the medieval cycles OF
heroic epicS Now the Letters OF Ger
trude Bell" selected and edited by heI
stepmother. Lady Bell. .. B. Z, reveal
the authentic personality Of this modern
feminine King Arthur. who was cailec
the Uncrowned Queen of Arabia" Love
OF adventure was from childhood the
dominant tone OF her life This passion
led her into situations which made her
of the utmost political Importance BON
10 England and Arabia: the record o.
these situations Is history and forms
the most valuable part Of the Letters.
But the story OF the adventures them
selves is unadulterated and thTI!iAs
romance and will be- Of as great interest,"
10 most readers as the service PERFORMED
by Gertrude Bell for the British Empire
The way In which she became cn!euS
responsible for the crownWg ot FaiSal'
King of lraq, partakes Of both history
and romance. Her crossing OF the desert
10 Damascus was a feat successfully &C
compl!shed by few men other than
Arabs. Her attendance AZ sword
dance Of the DruSeS Just before they
set out on an expedition 10 Slaashter
a neighborhocd tribe Was al adventure
which most people would consider TOO
perilouS 10 be a privilege. but the
Druses. though bloodthsrsty against
their enemies, were friendly 70 her. and
she saw the inner secrets Of DruSe eere-
monial and went away III perfect safety,
Her letter about this says "Tcniorrow
the Druscs are going forth, 1000 horse
men. 10 recapture their 0ockS and u
XIII every man. woman and child OF the
Sakhr that they may come across,
Then several came up 10 me and Sasuted
me. Upon thee be peace they said ,
the English and the pruSc are one
l said Praise be Ia God, We too are n
lighting race!' And II you had listened
10 that song you would know that the
finest thing i'll the world Is 10 80 out
and kill your enemyf"
How quickly romance ra>SeS' We
had Just become accustomed Ia think ~
picturesque Trader horn peddllns his
kitehenware ~ West African bungalows