Book launch - Drømmen om Amerika
Right after 1900, nearly 13,000 Hallingdal natives packed their trunks, filled their pockets with courage and set off for America. Some struck gold, some found homesickness instead – and some left footprints in history itself. On 8 December, you’ll hear the most incredible migration tales at Hemsedal Library. Free admission. Book sale available.
The dream of America – when Hallingdal headed west
On 8 December at 7pm, the doors of Hemsedal Library open for a deep dive into the great migration stories of the Halling people.
Just after 1900, nearly 13,000 from the Halling valleys set out for the so-called “Paradise Land” across the Atlantic. But… what really became of them?
Author and storyteller Magnus Lindahl is coming to present his book Paradislandet Amerika (The Paradise Land America). Expect tales that read like a tempting mash-up of luck, guts, secret identities and Wild West mischief:
Gro Gudmundsrud and her rare travel diary – a personal utvandrer-GPS from a time long before Google Maps
Ingebjørg Viko, the woman who changed her identity and lived as a man in an America where reinvention was the ultimate superpower (as long as no one asked too many questions)
The young lad Asle Oscar, who exposed the gang of the infamous outlaw Jesse James
Plus, the one-of-a-kind photos from the private album of bakery magnate Ole Jordheim – the man who went from flour to fortune
Practical details
Date: 8 December 2025
Time: 7pm
Place: Hemsedal Library
Cost: Free admission
Book sale: Copies available to buy on the night
You’re warmly welcome – bring your curiosity, we’ll supply the stories.
Contact
Opening hours
Monday - Friday: 09.00-15.00
