The Family at Gilje

"The Family at Gilje: A Domestic Story of the Forties" by Jonas Lie takes readers to the rural areas of Norway in the 1840s. Captain Jæger is the well-meaning but sometimes short-tempered head of a country family living in tough circumstances. Though centuries have passed since its publication, the book offers a unique window into an often under-appreciated part of Scandinavian history and the hardships that came along with it.