The Endearment (1982) (edit title/settings)

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Anna Reardon: A mail-order bride, passed herself off as the answer to Karl's needs but fell completely short. She was only 17, Irish, with whiskey-colored hair, brown eyes, and a few freckles and a fiery temper. Determined and smart, but she could not read or write nor could she cook. She had to learn everything about life in the wilderness, but was willing, so that she and her brother could escape the harsh life they lived in Boston.
• Karl Lindstrom: A good man of Swedish decent, 25, who'd lived in US for 2 years and now wanted a wife and family. He'd found good land, built a sod house and was ready to build a log cabin. Karl was a big man with big hands, handsome with fair hair and blue eyes. Trusting and hard-working.
• James Reardon: Ann's younger brother, 13, who accompanied her from Boston to Minnesota, unknown by Karl. He felt that Anna should have told Karl the truth about herself, that he, James, was part of the deal. James had auburn hair and green eyes and was totally willing to learn how to be a help.
• Joe Morisette: A French Canadian who owned the store where Karl met the young people when they arrived from Boston.
• Father Pierrot: Michael Pierrot, a Catholic priest and a friend to Karl. He had agreed to marry Karl and Ann when she arrived.
• Two Horns: An Indian friend of Karl's. He came, with four other Indians, to check out Karl's (Whitehair's) new wife. The Indians called Anna "Tonka Squaw", meaning Big Woman - a compliment.
• Olaf Johanson: The neighbor who moved in about 5 miles from Karl and Anna. Swedish, married to Katrene with five children.
• Katrene Johanson: Round, with braided blond hair, apple-cheeked; a jolly woman who chuckled gaily.
• The Johanson children: Three boys: Erik, the oldest; about Karl's age but shorter and not as handsome. Leif, 20 and Charles 16. Two daughters: Kerstin, the oldest, who looked a lot like her mother; Nedda, who was 14. All were vigorous, pink-cheeked, blond.
• Kerstin: Add a description of this character.
• Bill
• Erik
• Barbara
• Saul
• Nedda
• Whitehair
• Henry
• Charles
• Leif

Quotes edit see section history

• “Never let the sun go down on your anger.”

  Father Pierrot to Anna and Karl after their marriage ceremony.

• “A man who is worth his salt should know exactly where a tree will fall. Some say that you can set a spike in the ground and a worthy Swede can drive it clear in with the trunk of a falling tree.”

  Karl to James while teaching him to fell a tree.

• “--- A man should be able to look out and see his land all around him.”

  Karl to James regarding the windows in his new cabin.

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• But differences incurred during the day become lodged in stubbornness if held throughout the night.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Karl's sod house in Long Prairie: Only one room with a fireplace of fieldstone and a table and chairs made from black walnut. The bed had ropes made from braided buffalo grass with a mattress whose ticking was dried corn husks and the pillow was filled with cattail down. Karl had made the house of large cubes of sod held together with mortar made from white clay and buffalo grass, with a stone chimney and a roof of split logs covered with cubes of sod. There were two small windows covered with waxed sheets of opaque cloth and a plank door with a long board wedged against it. There was a springhouse outside, as well as other small buildings.
• Minnesota
• Sweden
• Boston
• Tonka Squaw
• St. Mark

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• mofar: grandfather on mother's side
• momar: grandmother on mother's side

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. LaVyrle Spencer (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• RITA award (1983: Mainstream Historical)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Romance › Contemporary
• Books › Romance › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction

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