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by Linda J. Palmer (Author)
One young Dane's leap of faith became a family legacy spanning over a century.
You know the feeling of longing for something more. A restlessness that whispers there must be a bigger life waiting somewhere beyond the horizon. In 1893, a young carpenter named Lars Peter Larsen listened to that whisper. With money pooled from his sisters and dreams fueled by letters from friends already in America, he boarded a steamer in Denmark and set sail for a country he could barely imagine, speaking not a single word of English.
The Gold One Immigrant Found in America traces Lars Peter's remarkable journey from the small farms of Sjaelland, Denmark, through the temptations and hardships of 1890s Chicago, across the vast landscape of California, and into a new life in Pasadena at the turn of the twentieth century. Along the way, he found love with Sofie Nilsson, a Swedish immigrant whose breathtaking handmade Victorian crazy quilt would win ribbons more than a hundred years later. Together they raised seven children whose descendants still carry forward a bond of family, creativity, and resilience. Written by his granddaughter Linda J. Palmer, this intimate memoir weaves personal writings, family photographs, and cherished heirlooms into a portrait of one immigrant's pursuit of the "good life" and the golden thread of love he left behind.
Inside you will discover:
- A firsthand immigrant story set against the backdrop of the 1893 World's Fair era and turn of the century California
- The saga of a stunning Victorian crazy quilt that connected generations of women across continents and decades
- A deeply personal family history that illuminates the universal immigrant experience of sacrifice, struggle, and enduring hope
