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Formats
Paperback Details
  • 01/2017
  • 978-0998465722 0998465720
  • 212 pages
  • $12.95
Ebook Details
  • 01/2017
  • 978-0-9984657-1-5 B01MYXWDKT
  • 212 pages
  • $6.99
Kirk Kjeldsen
Author
Land of Hidden Fires

Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)

Occupied Norway, 1943. After seeing an allied plane go down over the mountains, headstrong fifteen year-old Kari Dahlstrøm sets out to locate the wreck. She soon finds the cocky American pilot Lance Mahurin and offers to take him to Sweden, pretending she's a member of the resistance. While her widower father Erling and the disillusioned Nazi Oberleutnant Conrad Moltke hunt them down, Kari begins to fall for Lance, dreaming of a life with him in America. Over the course of the harrowing journey, though, Kari learns hard truths about those around her as well as discovering unforeseen depths within herself.
Reviews
Kjeldsen tells a small-scale tale about Norwegian resistance to the Nazis in this work that should appeal to historical thriller fans. It’s March 1943 in the Stjørdalen Valley of Norway when 15-year-old Kari Dahlstrøm looks up from her farm chores to see a P-47 falling from the sky. That night she disobeys her father, Erling, and goes in search of the downed pilot, fantasizing about rescuing a dashing American flyer. She does find Major Lance Mahurin and, after gathering some meager supplies from her farm while her father sleeps, the pair begins a perilous trek through the late winter mountains of Norway toward Sweden and safety. Erling soon discovers Kari’s absence and follows her. Also on their trail are the local Wehrmacht Oberleutnant and Sverre Hattestad, a Norwegian would-be collaborator. Kari’s actions are somewhat foolhardy and of little consequence to the war, but she and her taciturn father are heroic, nonetheless. Kjeldsen’s pacing is steady and intriguing, with viewpoint changes adding to the tension. His descriptive prose does a fine job of conveying the breathtaking scenery of the wintry Norwegian mountains. (BookLife)
Kirkus Reviews

A teenage girl rescues a downed American pilot in World War II Norway.

In this historical novel, Kjeldsen (Tomorrow City, 2013) follows 15-year-old Kari Dahlstrøm as she sets out to help an American pilot who lands near her family’s farm in rural Norway, despite her misanthropic widowed father Erling’s protest that the incident is not their concern. Kari sneaks out on foot and locates the pilot, Maj. Lance Mahurin, tangled up in his parachute in a tree. After freeing him, she offers to take him to safety in Sweden. They eventually head off in a rickety cart pulled by Torden, the Dahlstrøm family’s horse. When Erling realizes Kari is gone, he sets out on her trail, as does Nazi officer Lt. Conrad Moltke, guided by informants willing to trade collaboration for personal benefit. The two men chase their targets across the treacherous Norwegian mountains. Kari and Lance contend with the dangers of ice and snow, as well as the ever-present threat of German soldiers, as they make their way to the Swedish border. Erling’s journey in their tracks is solitary, while Moltke’s pursuit is hampered by conflicts with his superiors and the men he commands. The narrative switches frequently among characters, providing readers with an understanding of the motivations of all involved. Despite the high drama and action-driven hunt, the story remains at its core a quiet one, focused on the well-developed, internal struggles of the characters and with the careful, evocative use of language (“The first faint smudges of dawn began to emerge on the horizon. At the onset, they were barely perceptible, little more than smears on a lampblack canvas”). Although the prose is strong, the grammar is less so, and repeated errors in proper noun possessive formation detract from the narrative. Kjeldsen’s writing benefits from a deep underlying knowledge, not only of World War II ranks and weaponry—though history buffs should appreciate the details—but also of farming techniques, the hazards of a winter trek through Scandinavian woods, and animal behavior (“After Torden slipped again, he pulled up and whinnied, refusing to proceed further until Kari dug her heels into his sides”). The book is less adept at bringing readers into its female protagonist’s mind; despite the challenges she faces on her odyssey, Kari’s thoughts consist disproportionately of her infatuation with Lance.

 A quiet and introspective novel of wartime adventure.

New Jersey Star-Ledger

It's rather early in the year to be predicting what will make my 2017 top-ten list. But if Kirk Kjeldsen's "Land of Hidden Fires" (Grenzland Press, 228 pp., $12.95) isn't on it, it will be because the intervening 12 months have impaired my memory.I doubt they will. Indeed, I suspect the impression Kjeldsen's second novel has made on me will be as lasting as that of his first, "Tomorrow City," which I included on my 2013top-ten list - and remember still as a cleverly plotted, tensely constructed, beautifully written page-turner."Land of Hidden Fires" couldn't be more different from "Tomorrow City." Whereas the latter involved a getaway, its protagonist fleeing from an armored car heist in New York to an obscure neighborhood in Shanghai, China, and was laced with a good deal of violence, this story, set in 1943 German-occupied Norway, captures a small, quiet journey over a period of several days.And yet it turns out to be every bit as tense as Kjeldsen's previous thriller.Life is hard for 15-year-old Kari Dahlstrom and her father, Erling, not the least reason being their loneliness since the deaths of Kari's mother and her two brothers. Provisions are scarce. They've been forced to give some of their sheep to the Nazis in order to keep their farm. Many of the remainder have died of disease and starvation. Their hand-to-mouth existence never fills their bellies.When Kari spots an allied plane go down in the mountains near their farm, she wants her father to find and rescue the pilot. Erling won't even discuss it, knowing such a reckless act will risk their lives.But Kari can't stop thinking about the pilot. And so, envisioning an adventureentirely compatible with the imaginings of a teenage girl, she waits until her father is asleep, empties his money can, hitches their wagon to their only horse, Torden, and sets off on her own.It doesn't take long to find American pilot Lance Mahurin and, after freeing him from his tree-trapped parachute, convinces him she's a member of the resistance and can take him to the Swedish border.Thus begins a story of the pursued and their pursuers, for the Germans, well aware of the downed plane, are already on the hunt for it. Kari's father, mounted on a donkey, is also trying to find his daughter.That snow and winds cover Torden's tracks almost as quickly as they're set down provides only a minor advantage. Their food is scarce, especially for Torden, who developed a rift in a hoof that has become infected.The story alternates between the journeys of Kiri and Lance and those of her father and of the German troops on their trail. The latter is led by Nazi Oberleutnant Conrad Moltke who, fed up with his remote post, views the pilot's capture as his means of promotion to a command position in Africa.The action transpires against a cold winter backdrop, and Kjeldsen palpably describes the bitter weather, numb extremities and Kiri's water-soaked clothing after rescuing Torden, who falls through ice as they cross a river.Creating tension is just one of Kjeldsen's talents. Another is utterly capturing the mindset of a sheltered teenage girl who is falling in love with her rescued (and indifferent) pilot, imagining herself going to America with him.And third, but far from last, is Kjeldsen's writing. He has masterfully set a story, fraught throughout with danger, against an icy, white, virtually silent tableau - a story that will stay with you long after you've finished it.

The Norwegian American

Norwegian American Kirk Kjeldsen’s non-fiction turned novel is a fitting memorial to heroes whose lights shine in dark times

Kirk Kjeldsen’s inspiration for this novel was his great-grandfather’s brother, Anfinn Michael Oliver Kjeldsen, a member of the Norwegian resistance during the WWII German occupation who assisted stranded members of the U.S. Air Force get to safety into Sweden. He was originally going to write a non-fiction book about his ancestor but was not able to find enough information for this purpose.

He decided, therefore, to write a book of fiction. The protagonist is Kari Dahlstrøm, a 15-year-old girl who lives with her widowed father Erling on a farm in Norway’s Stjørdalen Valley. One day she spots in the distance a fighter plane with U.S. Army Air Force markings as it plummets to the ground. She rushes into her house to urge her father to try to find out if the pilot has managed to bail out and survive. He emphatically tells his daughter to forget it because it is none of their business. They soon go to bed for the night but Kari cannot sleep. She feels she must assist the American pilot if he is still alive.

Kari sets out on her own and soon discovers pilot Lance Mahurin alive, hanging from a tree unable to free himself from his entangled parachute. She succeeds in cutting him down and, after telling him that she is a member of the Norwegian Resistance (she is not!), promises to take him safely to Sweden.

They must face, of course, many almost insurmountable obstacles. First of all, since it is winter, they must try to keep themselves warm in the very cold weather. They must also find ways to feed themselves. Their most difficult challenge of all is avoiding the German occupiers as well as the Norwegians who are willing to ingratiate themselves with the enemy by turning in members of the Resistance.

Not long after Kari and Lance set out on their very perilous journey, the pursuit begins. When Kari’s father discovers her missing, he guesses what she is up to and immediately starts out to find her, very worried about what might happen to her if she is caught by the Germans.

When Wehrmacht Oberleutnant Conrad Moltke, the local German commander, learns of the crash of the American plane, he immediately sets out with his men to find it. He is soon informed that the pilot survived and is most likely attempting to reach Sweden. He eventually picks up Kari and Lance’s trail.

The novel is full of suspense and drama. But, while she is scared, Kari is happy to be with the handsome American pilot and begins to dream of a life with him in America. She almost finds herself wishing that their flight will continue indefinitely so she can be with him. She is quite sure that he will disappear from her life once they reach their destination.

The author succeeds in casting light on a very dark period of Norway’s history. He shows the suffering of the Norwegians who live in constant fear and are forced to go without many basic necessities. People fear not only the Germans but also their neighbors because they just might be German informers.

The book is a fitting memorial to Kjeldsen’s courageous ancestor and to all of the brave Norwegians who participated in some way for their country’s freedom. In 2001 Kjeldsen’s ancestor received a special citation from the Eighth Air Force Historical Society. The certificate reads, in part: “At great risk of life, and to the lives of those whom they held dear, this helper voluntarily assisted the airmen of the downed aircraft to evade or escape the enemy and facilitated the return of these American airmen to their unit.”

Kirk Kjeldsen is Assistant Professor in the cinema program at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in Richmond, Va. The title of this novel comes from a poem by Tarjei Vesaas that begins “The surface is calm—in the land of fires.” He has adapted some of Tarjei Vesaas’s poems into the feature film Gavagai. Tomorrow City (2013) is his first novel and is set in Shanghai.

News
01/14/2018
Best novels of 2017 (nj.com)

"Land of Hidden Fires," Kirk Kjeldsen (Grenzland Press), couldn't be more different from Kjeldsen's previous novel "Tomorrow City," and yet it has many of the same elements. Whereas the former involved a getaway, its protagonist fleeing from an armored car heist in New York to an obscure neighborhood in Shanghai, China, and was laced with a good deal of violence, this story, set in 1943 German-occupied Norway, captures a small, quiet journey on horseback over a period of several days made by a young farmer's daughter and a downed American pilot. She's trying to get him to safety, i.e., the Swedish border. But like its predecessor, it's a thriller involving a chase and, if caught, certain death at the hands of enemies. Kjeldsen has a talent for sustaining tension and feelingly conveys the naivete of 15-year-old Kari as she envisions escaping to America with the pilot; the determination of the pair's Nazi hunters; and her frantic father's search to locate his reckless child before the Nazis do.

06/23/2017
What to read this summer (nj.com)

LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES
Kirk Kjeldsen
Grenzland Press, 212 pp., $12.95 paperback

It's 1943 in a remote part of German-occupied Norway and Nazi troops have forced Kari and her father, Erling, to give up some of their sheep in order to keep their farm. Their remaining herd is dying of disease and starvation. When Kari spots an Allied plane go down, she wants to see if someone needs help. Erling forbids it, so she sets out at night on her father's only horse and rescues Lance, an American pilot, from his tree-trapped parachute. Envisioning an adventure entirely compatible with the imaginings of a naive teenager, she convinces Lance she can get him to the Swedish border. But the Germans are searching for the plane and Erling, mounted on a donkey, is on his daughter's trail. Set against a white and silent tableau, this masterfully told story is rife with tension.

Formats
Paperback Details
  • 01/2017
  • 978-0998465722 0998465720
  • 212 pages
  • $12.95
Ebook Details
  • 01/2017
  • 978-0-9984657-1-5 B01MYXWDKT
  • 212 pages
  • $6.99
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