Looking for Country
A Norwegian Immigrant's Alberta Memoir

Ellenor Ranghild Merriken

About the Book

"Looking for Country" refers to the thought process of animals bent on escape. A stampeding herd, or a spooked horse running away with its rider, may be described as "looking for country." It could also be applied to this memoir in another sense -- immigrants were looking for land, a piece of new country and, perhaps, an escape from their old country.

This memoir documents the experiences of a young woman growing up as a pioneer in Alberta. Although for many people, immigration brought great sadness, Ellenor loved Alberta and took tremendous pride in the years spent there. She did not deny the struggles, as shown in her writing, but was amply rewarded by "the satisfaction of knowing that I have had a part in the making of a great country."

About the Author

Ellenor Ranghild Merriken, the author of this memoir, was the youngest daughter of the Olsen family. Immigrants from Norway, they were new to the prairies of east-central Alberta, and unprepared for the challenges that faced them in their new country.

About the Series

The aim of the series is to publish material that either has never been published or is out of print. The mandate of Legacies Shared is broad, as we plan to make available parts of our "legacy" of historical memories that have been overlooked or have disappeared. Each volume contains an introduction appropriate to the subject, which migh be a work of history, a memoir, collections of letters, photographs, art work, maps, or recipes, works of fiction or poetry, or sets of archival documents. Oral history will also have a place in the series. The geographical area covered by this series is the Canadian west and north, but also across the Canada/U.S. border.

Orders

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