The Soul of the Family Tree
Growing up in a passionately Norwegian-American Iowa town, Lori Erickson rolled her eyes at traditions like Nordic Fest and steaming pots of rømmegrøt. But like many Americans, she eventually felt drawn to genealogy, the "quintessential hobby of middle age." Her quest to know more about the Vikings and immigrants who perch in her family tree led her to visit Norse settlements and reenactments, medieval villages and modern museums, her picturesque hometown and her ancestor's farm on the fjords.
Along the way, Erickson discovers how her soul has been shaped by her ancestors and finds unexpected spiritual guides among the seafaring Vikings and her hardscrabble immigrant forebears. Erickson's far-ranging journeys and spiritual musings show us how researching family history can be a powerful tool for inner growth. Travel with Erickson in The Soul of the Family Tree to learn how the spirits of your ancestral past can guide you today
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Lori Erickson is one of America's top travel writers specializing in spiritual journeys. She is the author of Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper (which won a Silver INDIES Award for 2019 Religion Book of the Year from Foreword Reviews) and Holy Rover: Journeys in Search of Mystery, Miracles, and God. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler, and Better Homes & Gardens, among others. She lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with her husband.
"In this shrewd memoir, Erickson (Holy Rover) details how researching her Norwegian American heritage led to deep personal reflection. The modern ability to investigate one's ancestry using DNA, she argues, can be more than just biology... Readers may find themselves ordering their own DNA testing kit upon finishing this."
--Publishers Weekly
"[Erickson] brings a light heart, an old soul and a deep understanding to her subject of how tracing our genealogy can deepen our spiritual lives." --The Gazette
"The Soul of the Family Tree will appeal to readers of Erickson's previous books specializing in spiritual journeys, anyone interested in genealogy and Norse or Viking culture and history, and to those who have enjoyed similar titles like The Lost Family Tree by Libby Copeland and The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen." --The Norwegian American Genealogical Center
"Erickson traces the 'spiritual DNA' of her Norwegian ancestors, investigating how their heritage influenced their cultural practices and religious beliefs, especially in the Midwestern United States.... The Soul of the Family Tree posits that a spiritual grounding in one's family history can combat 'historical amnesia' and nurture a sense of belonging."
--Foreword Reviews
