11/02/2026
November 1 was National Authors Day and while there are many, many Scandinavian authors of note, we’d like to highlight some remarkable authors whose writing preserves the stories of Scandinavian heritage and the immigrant experience on the Northern Plains.
Minot’s own Barb Solberg: author of What We Leave Behind, a historical novel inspired by her Norwegian grandparents' immigration to North Dakota.
O.E. Rølvaag: Norwegian-American author of Giants in the Earth, a classic novel depicting the struggles, hardships, and hopes of Norwegian immigrants settling the Dakota prairie.
Lauraine Snelling, 2012 Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame inductee: author of numerous historical novels exploring Norwegian-American life, including the popular Red River of the North series, set in the Dakota Territory.
We highly recommend checking out these books and supporting these authors. They keep our stories alive for generations to come.