This is a great book for Scandinavian recipes used EVERYDAY in America. There are tons of cookbooks for those special occasions, but the recipes which are hard to find are the ones that grandma didn't write down; she used them everyday; no need to refer to a recipe card! I found SIMPLE recipes that were used when the goal was to just feed the family, not to "entertain." But these are GOOD recipes, quite literally, like "Grandma used to make." If you're looking for a recipe that isn't fancy, but a family favorite, this is the place to find it!

You won't be sorry you picked up this book. I've read two other books by Carrie Young, and they are all just a treat to read. I grew up eating this kind of food, lovingly cooked by my Norwegian grandmother. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these recipes and accompanying stories. The stories are often hilarious, and they all ring true for those of us with similar backgrounds. I'm picking up another copy of this book as a birthday gift for a relative, I know she'll love it!!! A great book for Scandinavians, for persons from the midwest, or for anyone else!!!

When is a prose memoir nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry? When it is written by the talented Mr. Murphy and punctuated with poems that arise out of the narrative like crops from the earth, concentrating it into a sweet or bitter nourishment. The memoir tells how Murphy's family came to farm in the Red River Valley bordering Minnesota and North Dakota, starting with his grandfather from New York, who broke the virgin bluestem with a two-bottom plough. Full of both personal memories and the sweep of history, the narrative depicts a way of life at the mercy of drought and flood and constrained by national politics and now global economics. In this environment, strength of character is not a virtue but a given. With vivid portraits of his grandparents, parents, and neighbors, Murphy humanizes an often unforgiving landscape. It is amazing to come upon his poems-each one distilling the literal truth with acute accuracy. Anyone interested in the distinct power of poetry will want to see how prose and poetry interact. Six color woodcuts by artist Charles Beck make this book glow.

When I was young, my father farmed for a time. I had almost forgotten how it feels for one's livelyhood to be so closely tethered to the weather and economy, so much that one storm (or lack of) can throw one's life into chaos. Say it doesn't rain for a month, starting today, so you're not going to get a third of your regular salary. That's farming; very arbitrary. Set the Ploughshare Deep reminded me of how this feels.

Murphy's writing is simple, spare and excellent. He has a wry sense of humor that injects itself into his stories and poems occasionally, and an amiable voice. He also inspires incredible emotion, especially when he writes of the lives, manners and deaths of his beloved hunting dogs. An elegy for one of his dogs, Dee, broke my heart. An account of another dog's reaction to her puppy's death is equally moving. Murphy is excellent at what he does.

Bless Mari Sandoz for saving much of the traditional Plains culture in this very accessible short novel. It is the time before Custer; whites are just beginning to become more populous along the Oregon trail. The main character, Lance, is a boy looking for his role in a band of Oglala Sioux, whose main struggles still involve the enemy tribes of the Rees, Pawnees, and Crow, as well as the battle against hunger. It is his nature to stray from the fold, which goes against the strong tribal value system of doing nothing that will endanger the people. He adopts an enemy as a brother; catches horses; survives a winter alone; participates in the buffalo hunt; attends the Sioux tribal meeting on Bear Butte; falls in love; "buries" his mother in a tree-burial; and finally wins the tribe's--and his sweetheart's--approval for his keen vision in a revenge raid on the Pawnees. His talent is in watching and recording in pictures the people's stories: a comparison could be made to Sandoz and the Oglala historians she worked with. This book renders a topic of inherent interest in beautifully crafted sentences. There is much to learn in its pages.

this story is amazing. all though I am not of native american background I have some friends that are and fortunetly, they are related to the Sioux and Cheyanne tribes and they say this book is one of the best of it's kind.

This is the first book I ever bought about Native Americans. It was really great. Funny, sad, shows great love. More, more!

Louis is angry and irreverent, but yet not offensive. It'a a very quick, enjoyable read. The short stories in this work touch on every issue you can imagine, mixing humans and anthropomorphic creatures against a graphic backdrop of contemporary reservation life. If you like Sherman ALexie, you'll love Louis!

Miss Thompson has done an incredible job here. Her autobiography is so personal and touching. In reading her story, I watched her grow up in North Dakota and saw how the family struggled when they first started farming. From the early morning sunrise to the bitter cold weather, Era Bell Thompson is a master of description. She paints a beautiful picture of life, and likewise how hard the death of her mother and father were on her.
Her early 1900 work ethic makes us pale in comparison. Her friendships blossom on the pages. Her sorrows, pains, joys, love, and strength of spirit are poignant and enduring.
She is brave and hard working. She wants to share her soul with us, the readers, and has done a trememdous job!
Please purchase this book and read it. I promise it will be hard to put down and you will have been blessed by reading it.
Come share with me what I experienced by learning about a true american daughter, Era Bell Thompson.

The life story of Harold Schafer identifies the secret to success in America.....Hard Work! Very inspiring, chapter after chapter.

Marc Tyler Nobleman provides an excellent history of "The Battle of the Little Bighorn" for young readers. Early on in this "We the People" book Nobleman declares: "Custer's actions were neither smart or heroic, but they made him an American legend." In this book we learn both why this battle made Custer a legendary figure and why his exploits are hardly heroic. The battle, which occurred shortly before the nation celebrated its Centennial, is put in context of the escalating tensions between the Native Americans and the U.S. government. Nobleman covers the impact of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the establishment of the Indian Territory in 1834, and the orders to relocate tribes, which came to a head when gold was discovered in the Black Hills of Dakota. We learn about the life of Custer, a brief account which focuses on both his heroism and his reckless streak. I was most impressed with Nobleman's argument that the Plains War was essentially another American Civil War, fought between two groups in the same country. "The Battle of the Little Bighorn" is illustrated with a well-above average set of historic drawings, etchings, paintings and photographs. Although this is one of the shortest juvenile histories of the battle that I have read, Nobleman does a most impressive job of covering not only the battle but the issues that it raises for American history, making very clear that this victory for the Plains Indians over the U.S. 7th Cavalry had disastrous long-term effects for the winning side. The back of this book includes a glossary of a dozen terms, a Did You Know? section with interesting tidbits (e.g., how Crazy Horse got his name), a timeline of Important Dates (including how in 1991 the Custer Battlefield National Monument was renamed the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and the U.S. government ordered the construction of an Indian memorial), a list of Important People, a Want to Know More? section (for both the Library and the Web), and an index. While I certainly think this book is a solid effort I do wish they had picked a different painting of the battle for the cover, for both historical and aesthetic reasons.

Best Of The Best From The Great Plains Cookbook compiles its recipes from 88 cookbooks drawn from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. From a non-alcoholic Hot Buttered Rum to Mexican Ice Cream, this impressive, highly recommended compendium offers up wonderful selections for any family meal time or celebratory dining occasion. Of special interest to cookbook enthusiasts is the extensive listing of titles for the entire "Best of the Best" cookbook series from Quail Ridge Press.

Teen Kate's mother died four years ago as the victim of a drunk driver, and her family has never been the same. The driver has been in jail; now he's released with a new start on life - until a blizzard brings them all together and forces them all to interact. Can Kate ever overcome her intense anger to heal? The author does an exceptional job of presenting perspectives of events from all sides in Blizzard's Wake.

This novel, it must be said, is not quite as good as Wiowode's finest, 'Beyond the Bedroom Wall.' But Wiowode's second best is anyone else's excellent. As North Dakota's poet, Wiowode uses prose in stark, image-packed lines to tell the story of two brothers, their respective roads through triumph and tragedy. Though Wiowode is a Christian (Presbyterian), he doesn't flinch as his characters grapple with homosexuality and even sibling experimentation. Alchoholism, a factor in Wiowode's own life, also plays a role, as does the uncharacteristic (for a modern novel) love of parents found almost solely in Wiowode. This is a beautifully-crafted book, a story about faith, sin, lostness, and love. Redemptive, yes. But not cheaply so. Highest recommendation.