The Invention of Lefse: A Christmas Story

fast service, book is in excellent condition, and a nice surprise of a free book !

Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread, made with potatoes, flour, butter and milk or cream. There are all kinds of variations on the lefse theme – with cinnamon, a cake version, a yeast version, even a version with peanut butter, among others. In the United States, lefse is usually associated with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.But how was it originally created? Potatoes were introduced to Norway some 250 years ago, so the traditional version using leftover potatoes has a fairly recent origin (there may have been an earlier version using only flour and not potatoes).You know how a question about a food’s creation is likely to play in a writer’s mind. Novelist and poet Larry Woiwide asked the question or had it asked of him, and he wrote a story, a children’s story, a children’s Christmas story.His “The Invention of Lefse: A Christmas Story” is a delight, wrapped up in poverty, drought, family, and Christmas.Mette Ivarsdatter is 13, the oldest of three girls in her family. It’s Christmas time, and times are hard. Norway’s farmers have all been affected by a bad year for crops, money is extremely tight, and Mette’s father would rather be working on carpentry projects anyway, like a porthole window for Mette’s room.But it’s Christmas, and the family will be taking a long sleigh ride to the home of Mette’s grandparents. Mette knows there are tensions between her father and her grandfather, and she can hear her parents arguing in whispers. No money means no gifts for Christmas, so Mette’s family will take some flour and milk. It is much the same for the rest of the extended family, and someone has some potatoes.Mette’s grandmother will take these small gifts and make – lefse. From each small gift comes a larger one.Woiwide has been North Dakota’s poet laureate since 1995. He’s the author of five novels, two short stories, a biography, a memoir and a book of poetry, in addition to numerous articles, essays, and reviews. He’s also won numerous literary awards.Even if you’re not of Norwegian ancestry, “The Invention of Lefse” has a timeless appeal for children – and adults.

On the surface this charming little book seems to tell the simple tale of a young Norwegian farm girl, Mette, and her family. Christmas Eve is approaching and it is a lean winter. What will they bring to Mette's grandparents to add to the holiday feast? They have only flour and milk because of the hard times - and partly because Mette's father bought real glass windows, including a round one just for Mette when she turned 13. There is some tension between Mette's father and mother about how to spend money, especially for windows.As they set out for the yearly trip to visit the grandparents, Mette's father bemoans the fact that he has only two bullets left, bullets he hopes can bring down a deer. He wants to kill that deer so he can supplement what he considers meager offerings for the family gathering. But what if he fails? How will they turn milk and flour into a dish worthy of Christmas?I found this tale particularly timely, given the rocky economy of late. But no matter the state of the economy, children and adults should be entranced by this book for years to come. It deserves to be a classic for these reasons (among others too numerous to mention):1. It doesn't talk down to children and contains enough vivid language and descriptions to hold adults' attention. This is a perfect book for reading aloud, perhaps in front of a fire on a snowy night, cocoa in hand (or something stronger for the adults). Especially at Christmas, the message of turning humble offerings into something surprising and wonderful is inspiring.2. The simplest things, possessions that many readers may take for granted, are not givens for the family featured within the pages of The Invention of Lefse. They depend on hard work and the luck of the seasons for their living. This keeps the tale from being syrupy sweet or unreal. In short, this has the ring of truth and reality.3. Actual family tensions are portrayed and yet love prevails - again, not in a sappy way but with warmth and humor.4. While only a bit over 60 pages, every word has impact. I was drawn into the drama of Mette's life and eager to read the book aloud, to share this with children and adults.

Lovely book especially if you have scandinavian background.

Great story for those that have lefse as a family tradition.