The Icelandic Emigration Journey: From Turfhouses to Prairie Homesteads (Book Review)

The Icelandic Emigration Journey: From Turfhouses to Prairie Homesteads

Sunna Olafson Furstenau (author)

2023

By Becky Byerly-Adams

Included in our theme for 2026 are books of personal and historical accounts of Icelandic immigration and the settling in the many North American communities. In our first book written by Sunna Olafson Furstenau, read their stories, see the images and learn about their hardships but also their achievements.

Emigration from Iceland began much later than in most European countries, and the Icelandic pioneers carried with them a deep pride in their heritage. Through stories, traditions, sagas, and cultural practices, they preserved their identity and passed it down through generations. This book tells the story of those pioneers and the Icelandic settlements of North Dakota and Minnesota with links to relevant articles, videos, presentations, and websites that connect the past to the present.

Included in this book is a short history of Iceland, from the Viking-Age settlement to the nineteenth century, along with photos of people, places, maps, and more. Learn about the most common emigration routes, the journey from Iceland to North America, including ships, ports of departure and arrival, pioneer life on the prairies, Icelandic churches in the settlements, and how descendants of the Icelander pioneers continue to keep their heritage alive for future generations.

The Icelandic Emigration Journey: From Turfhouses to Prairie Homesteads accompanied the art exhibition of the same name, which was exhibited at The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum in Moorhead, Minnesota, from June 16 to July 31, 2023. The exhibition consisted of fourteen 24” x 36” panels featuring photographs, drawings, maps, and stories about Iceland the the Icelandic people who emigrated between 1870 and 1914.  The book includes smaller-format images of these exhibition panels.

This book is ideal for readers seeking a concise and accessible history of Iceland and Icelandic emigration to North America, especially those with Icelandic ancestors or an interest in immigration stories.

The Icelandic Emigration Journey: From Turfhouses to Prairie Homesteads is available through both amazon.com in the U.S. and amazon.ca in Canada.  It can also be found at abebooks.com

The author, Sunna Olafson Furstenau, is the President and Founder of Icelandic Roots.