cover image A Land So Fair and Bright

A Land So Fair and Bright

Russ Hofvendahl, Russ Hofvehdahl. Sheridan House, $22.95 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-924486-10-4

At age 16 in 1938 Hofvendahl ( Hard on the Wind ) shipped out from his native San Francisco on a merchant vessel headed north. The pay was low and the workload enormous, so he and a Danish fellow sailor jumped ship in Canada and went east, looking for work harvesting grain in the prairie provinces. They were caught by U.S. immigration authorities right after they had crossed the border, and Hofvendahl's companion was sent to New York to be deported. The author made his way to New York where he worked for awhile, then journeyed back to the Bay Area via a southern route. Along the way he learned the rules of the road, traveled with many fine companions, met several willing women and, above all, encountered kindness and generosity from people who had little to give but seemed always ready to share. A heartwarming tale. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)