Nora Burglon (1900–1976)

This chapter book was a delight to read. Guldklumpen and Nicolina live with there mother as crofters (which seems to be similar to sharecroppers) in Sweden. There father is out at sea and has not been heard from for years, so the impoverished mother raises her children alone, instilling independence, imagination, ndustry, and love of learning in the two. They have adventures as they weed the potatoes, go ice-fishing, attend school, participate in weaving contests, barter duck eggs for laying hens, and plan how to earn the money to buy a cow. While the gender roles are mentioned (several things Guldklumpen wants to do "because he was a boy"), we also hear snippets of traditional Swedish beliefs which gives this book value to one with Swedish heritage.… (més)