Land of Dreams

About the Book

Book: Land of Dreams (Home to Green Creek Series Book One)

Authors: Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Historical

Release date: April 1, 2025

From Norway to America, they must strive for resilience amid unpromising new beginnings.

On the ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother, vowing to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge.

As Amalia and Ruth fight for their new home, a trail of orphans shows up on their doorstep, and Amalia makes a promising friend in Absalom Karlsson, the magistrate’s son. With each challenge they face, Amalia and Ruth find hope in believing that faith and determination can overcome even the most daunting of trials.

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About the Author

Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She makes her home in Tehachapi, California.

More from Lauraine

Different stories come about different ways. One of the things I’ve learned through these years of writing is the value of slowly waking up and paying attention to what was going on in my mind. I saw a young woman standing at the railing of a ship tossing on rough seas. A gray day. And I heard the splash as her father’s body sank into the waves. I sniffed, mopped my eyes and settled back, hopefully to sleep awhile longer. But the dream, if that was what it was, continued. A little girl named Rut, or Ruthie, joined Amalia at the rail, slipped her hand into the young woman’s and asked if she could please come, her mother wanted to see her. And my internal game of what if continued for these people on a cholera attacked ship from Norway to Amerika.

I knew a new story had begun but had no idea where it was going. As I said, I treasure that time between sleeping and waking when I can part the curtains to my subconscious mind and see what it has been playing with. What a gift God has created in us.

Around about the same time, something brought a story that one of my aunts on my father’s side told me when I asked her what she remembered of her growing up years. Auntie Harriet chuckled and asked, “Have you heard of the rutabaga years?” I shook my head and settled in to listen. They were a family of eleven children, my dad being the eldest, they lived in a big two story house with a huge garden, a flock of chickens and bad weather. Late spring freeze, early fall freeze and much of the produce killed off. All but the root crops, and rows of rutabagas. Many were dug and stored in the cellar, lots left in the ground, to be dug up later. Rutabagas can be fried, boiled, mashed, grated, turned into soup and stew, mixed with other vegetables, added to pancakes, even turned into pie. Ah, yes, the rutabaga years, Auntie Harriet said she didn’t particularly care for rutabagas for a long time after that. But in the mean time, they became part of Amalia and Ruthie’s new life at a big house Ruthie inherited in Green Creek. North and West of Decorah Iowa in 1819. Come join a delightful cast of characters in Land of Dreams.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron. I began reading and I was quickly drawn into the story. The characters are developed. I liked that they were realistic with strengths as well as flaws. They will need to be strong and have faith if they are to overcome the obstacles thrown their way. I like that there were twists along the way that kept things interesting. I cannot imagine traveling from Norway to America. It was a long journey that would require various modes of transportation. I enjoyed the lovely setting. I could visualize it thanks to the author’s picturesque descriptions. Faith was beautifully woven into the story, and I felt that it enhanced it. One of my favorite moments was when one of the ladies had to deal with a difficult individual. I like how she behaved and her comment afterward, “Why couldn’t everybody just be nice?” is something that I often wonder as well. I like how people befriended Amalia. They helped her settle into the town and boardinghouse. They also supported her as she dealt with the difficult Miss Berg. There was one struggle after another with Miss Berg. I appreciated the author’s note at the end. Land of Dreams is a story about new beginnings, compassion, trust, friendship, loss, and faith. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Home to Green Creek series.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to the Baker Book House website and paperback copy of the book! Be sure to comment on the blog stops (including this one) for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54198

Land of Dreams is available from Amazon. The next book in the Home to Green Creek series is At Morning's Light which will be out on December 2. You can find Lauraine Snelling's other novels here. Kiersti Giron helped Lauraine Snelling write the Leah's Garden series. Thank you for joining me today. I really appreciate it. I am still recovering from my fibro flare up (my mother keeps saying that she told me not to overdue it). The people that run our village are going around on golf carts looking for minor violations and leaving notes on people's doors.

My neighbor received one of the notes stating her garden needed to be weeded and her little pond needed to go. She broke her hip a couple of months ago and is still unable to get around. I offered to take care of the garden for her. It is looking good. I may have added a few extra elements (a cute welcome sign with a solar light, an herb garden, ferns, marigolds, and a wind spinner). She should have known that when she told me that sprucing it up was fine that I would run with it. Wee are enjoying some lovely spring weather which makes it a pleasure to be outside in the garden. On Thursday, April 17, I am featuring Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly. It is the seventh A House-Flipper Mystery. I hope that you have a day filled with laughter (laughter can help lessen stress, depression, and anxiety plus it makes you feel happier). Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader