Rølvaag, Ole Edvart << ROHL vahg, OH luh EHD vahrt >> (1876-1931), was a Norwegian American novelist. His fame rests on Giants in the Earth (1924-1925), a classic novel about life on the American frontier. The book describes the hardships of Norwegian farmers in the Midwest during the late 1800’s. Rølvaag continued his story in Peder Victorious (1928) and The Blessed Day (1931). His novels were written in Norwegian.
Rølvaag was born on April 22, 1876, in Dønna, near Bodø, Norway. He moved to the United States in 1896, farmed for a short time, and then attended colleges in the United States and Norway. He became a U.S. citizen in 1908. Rølvaag taught at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, from 1907 until his death on Nov. 5, 1931.
