Warm Bricks at My Feet
A Danish Immigrant Family's Struggles and Triumphs through a Uniquely Challenging Period in 20th Century America
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As a child, my mother had a playful streak and enjoyed fun wherever she could find it. On one occasion, she and her sister convinced her younger brother to bury his money so that, like planting seeds on the farm, the coins would grow in value. Sometime later, her brother decided to harvest his growing treasure but became desperate when he found nothing. He soon realized what had happened and proceeded to assault his sisters with his wooden shoes.
On a warm summer day, my mother recalled the fun when she and her girlfriends stripped naked and ran into the ocean off the Danish coast. They were frolicking in the water when some young men gathered and refused to leave as they anxiously waited for a better look at what would be revealed when the young girls emerged from the water. My mother was the bravest and least modest of her friends, declaring she had nothing to hide. So she was the first to walk out of the water. Taking her lead, the rest of the girls immediately followed.
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About the Book
By writing my family’s memoirs, I have tried to open a window into the life of my family, first generation Danish immigrants who came to America, not to escape an oppressive government or economic crisis but to seek ownership and control of their lives and their future. I describe their love of family as well as their internal and cultural struggles. My parents and siblings faced numerous challenges and uncertainties while raising a large family, struggling through the Great Depression and renewing their determination amidst successes and failures, joys and tragedies. My family wore the stamp of first generation immigrants with all the uncertainties of living in a new country and speaking only a foreign language. Nevertheless, we had the sense that we were special though our home, clothes and other worldly possessions declared otherwise. By some small miracle, we all survived and achieved varying degrees of success, each in our own way.
Writing this book has been a journey of heart and mind as I recount stories about my family and myself. Like most children, I seek to understand who I am from my origin and experiences. My parents left indelible marks on me, my siblings and the generations that have followed. May this memoir enlighten and give context and a measure of insight to family and friends and all those who wonder about the experiences of life we share with our fellow travelers everywhere.
About the Author
Marian Love received nurse’s training at Colorado University and the University of Washington. This is her first book, a memoir of personal memories and interviews with family and friends. Marian and her husband Bill had five children. Following her husband’s death in 2007, she settled in Portland, Oregon near her oldest daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren.