Invention of Lefse, Larry Woiwode
Invention of Lefse, Larry Woiwode
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Invention of Lefse
A Christmas Story

Author: Larry Woiwode

Narrator: Larry Woiwode

Unabridged: 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/15/2011


Synopsis

"Mette Iversdatter's window was a porthole on the winter sky." Larry Woiwode brings us into the simple and anxious rhythms of life for a Norwegian farm girl in the first decade of the twentieth century. Christmas Eve falls in the midst of deprivation as Mette's family prepares to journey to her grandparent's farm. When her father fails to bag a big deer on the journey, they arrive, like everyone else, almost empty-handed. Yet despite frustration and disappointment, this extended family combines their meager resources to create an unexpected marvel that transforms the family's Christmas. Sharply observed and crisply written, Woiwode's story throbs with truths known to human hearts in any century. He carefully renders the hesitant hopes of a child, the aching disappointments and steady perseverance of her elders, and the surprise of beauty and joy. That prayers may yet be answered--that the provision may be greater even than the promise--is a truth for Christmas and always.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kristi on December 13, 2020

In this pandemic year, simple things make up Christmas. I was raised in a Norwegian family on a farm in Iowa. My mother made amazing lefse. Every Christmas eve before church ( Lutheran of course ) we had a Norwegian meal - cod, potatoes, lefse, and rice pudding. No vegetables that I can remember..........more

Goodreads review by NyiNya on November 01, 2012

Cold, barren landscape, an empty larder, and a cast of characters who aren't exactly warm and cuddly doesn't seem to be a recipe for a delightful holiday book, but The Invention of Lefse pulls it off. The setting is bleak. Any icy December in the cold, dark Norway of the 1890s. Religion was harsh, th......more

Goodreads review by Michele on December 02, 2014

The Invention of Lefse is a peaceful, homely Christmas tale that spins a fable for the origin of Norwegian lefse bread while also drawing the reader back into a long-forgotten day of simple celebration and elaborate joy. Thirteen-year-old Mette Iversdatter wakes early on Christmas eve to the wonder o......more

Goodreads review by Shelly on December 04, 2014

Amidst the plethora of books that could have been read and reviewed--many of which are on weighty matters--I found this tiny jewel. The Invention of Lefse by Larry Woewode is a short tale set against a distinctly Norwegian backdrop. Easily read in one setting, the brief pages paint a sweet picture of......more

Goodreads review by Sara on December 24, 2023

I picked this up from my library discard sale. It didn't get enough checkouts to keep, but I thought, I'm Norwegian American, and it had such a pretty cover. It was pretty underwhelming. Not bad, not anything to specifically dislike, but it read like a typical Christmas sermon that someone had stretc......more