The Norwegian's Diary

""This book's research and presentation are amazing. And to link it all to one man's diary makes it a fascinating read. The history of the immigrant population in America and the country's very poor handling of underclass immigrants raises essential issues about the drive for success with little concern for the underprivileged. It's a timeless story of continuing relevance to immigrant challenges in our own day."" --Norman Hutcheson, minister, Church of Scotland ""A thought-provoking book sprinkled throughout with in-depth, vivid details about the innermost thoughts of an immigrant. Daniel Pawley's command of language and phrasing is greatly appreciated in applying relatable insights into an otherwise academic subject. I found myself going back, re-reading, and thinking about my own experiences as an immigrant. This is a book to read and read again."" --Elizabeth Allen, international concert pianist ""The author draws attention to the experience of immigrants in America and the hardships of their lives. He reflects on what it meant--and means--to leave a familiar world behind and set out for an unknown land. Contemplative and discursive, this book, in drawing on the life of one quiet-living man, ponders the question of human destiny. In the end, though, is silence, the silence of God. Daniel Pawley has a novel take on his subject in that he himself is an immigrant, as extracts from his own diary illustrate, in the book's epilogue."" --James Patrick, minister, South Africa ""The epilogue was my favorite part as the author responds to the Norwegian's diary of a hundred years ago with sections of his own personal diary. But really the entire book, which weaves threads of immigrant stories involving struggle, home, racial issues, church life, and the 'American Dream, ' have helped me think about my own immigrant journey across three cultures toward eventually becoming an American citizen. There is much to savor here about leaving and finding home as seen through the eyes of an immigrant from a century ago."" --Heather Cady, spiritual director ""America may be about many things, but any kind of a prevalent, monolithic spiritual place is not one of them. As Daniel Pawley writes, 'Indeed, if that place once existed, it doesn't anymore, even though in the past it endeavored to present itself as such. Many immigrants experienced this harsh truth first-hand, crushed by the realities of industrial capitalism which left little time for spiritual and intellectual betterment.' As this book clearly and elegantly shows, a large part of the American story was about impersonal materialistic gain accompanied by disappointment, doubt, and personal despair."" --Florbela Veiga Frade, author of As Comunidades Sefarditas e a Nacao Portuguesa de Antuerpia, Seculos XVI-XVII ""This is a fascinating look at the historical and cultural contexts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in America, especially if your Norwegian ancestors arrived during that time, as mine did. Ollis' story gives Daniel Pawley a framework to explore broader topics about America at that time, such as labor, religion, the media, racism, and philosophy, in addition to offering 'lingering questions' raised by the diary. An immigrant to Portugal since 2016, Pawley also turns the lens on himself, refocusing the historic narrative with a bridge to current-day immigration topics."" --Andrew Wind, local news editor, The Courier