Rølvaag, Ole

Rølvaag, Ole (Edvart)

(born April 22, 1876, Dönna Island, Helgeland, Nor.—died Nov. 5, 1931, Northfield, Minn., U.S.) Norwegian-born U.S. novelist and educator. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1896 and spent most of his life at St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minn.), teaching Norwegian language and literature and the history of Norwegian immigration. His works, written in Norwegian, are noted for their realistic portrayals of Norwegian settlers on the Dakota prairies and of the clash between transplanted and native cultures in the U.S. His best-known work is Giants in the Earth (1927), a translation of two of his novels.