America Fever

The thoughts of Christie Vold, a mid-19th century Norwegian woman pondering her upcoming emigration to America ("cheap land, big trees, wide open spaces") are voice-over narrated by Kristin Haug while a series of slide dissolves show artifacts of the Norwegian home she's leaving behind in the nicely photographed America Fever. The 13th entry in Jocelyn Riley's Her Own Words series (the last was Women in Construction [VL-3/94]), America Fever combines photos of period pieces-- clothes, kitchen implements, and furnishings--with snippets of Norwegian song from Rasma Haidri. Vold's exodus is no small endeavor: she must take food enough for an 8-10 week journey, part from a mother she will almost certainly never see again, and join a husband in an unknown wilderness called Iowa. a pleasant historical mood piece. Recommended for larger collections, and those collecting the Her Own Words series. (R. Pitman)