"Story revolves around two individuals, Inger and Isak, and their elemental existence in the rough, open country of Norway." *** "I do not know how to express the admiration I feel for this wonderful book without seeming to be extravagant. I am not usually lavish with my praise, but indeed the book impresses me as among the very greatest novels I have ever read. It is wholly beautiful; it is saturated with wisdom and humor and tenderness." H. G. Wells *** "As a young man, Isak begins to farm some unclaimed land in the hills. He is soon joined by INger, who works hard beside him, bears him a son and becomes his wife. Together the family turns the small holding into a large estate that becomes the envy of the townsfolk who then move to Isak's mountain to try their luck. The successes, the failures, and the intertwining of the several families on the mountain form the theme for a story that is a powerful evocation of the strength people draw from the land." Shapiro. Fic for Youth. 3rd ed.