Books: The Old Country

PEDER VICTORIOUS—O. E. Rolvaag—Harper ($2.50).

At St. Olaf College in Minnesota a Norwegian immigrant, professor of literature, writes many a novel, ships them to "the old country" for publication. Last year however he helped translate one of them into English, called it Giants in the Earth, and was promptly acclaimed an important U. S. novelist.

With the present volume, a sequel, the author shows himself less novelist than professor intent upon the interesting phenomenon of the second generation. He contrasts Beret, reluctant Norwegian immigrant of the earlier volume, with Beret's son Peder, who is...