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Sara Sheldon, author of "The Few, the Proud, the Lady Marines"
The only awkwardness about Welcome Are Lands is the title, which Jim Kruger explains early on and becomes understandable as the narrative unfolds. This is an epic story, following generations of the Shevley family who experience all the major historical events of nearly 100 years beginning in 1850. Most interesting is the detail of the logging industry: the rough, hazardous life of the loggers and the great wealth amassed by the owners driven by grandiose visions of the future, the little-remembered great, hazardous fires, and the part the industry played in developing the Midwest. Kruger did impressive research on the Civil War, steamboat travel and the lives of early settlers in the Minnesota area. Readers form affectionate or negative opinions of the characters and then are forced to think again as Kruger masterfully introduces unexpected situations and his characters are challenged to adjust to, react to, and survive the circumstances that play out in their lives. Much in this gigantic tale is not easy to get your mind around, but that is Kruger's skill in recounting the unexpected twists and turns of history and the affects on the personal experience on his characters. Unlike many short sensationalized novels today, this book is well-crafted and worth the time to read it to the end.
Taylor Van Arsdale, Santa Monica, CA
James Kruger has done it again! Welcome Are Lands, his latest novel, the moving saga of the Shevley family, is the kind of book you hope to take with you on vacation so you may savor every line and every nuance of this pioneering family's life. Kruger's attention to detail makes for a vivid reading, drawing you into the world of these complex and interesting characters. Having had the pleasure of reading two other books by this James Kruger, Welcome Are Lands is his best work yet!
Minnesota, the official magazine of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association
Kruger's sixth novel is the story of the American frontier in the pre-Civil War era. Tracing the route a family takes from Maine to Minnesota, the history of the new territory is interwoven with the legacy of the pioneers who built it. Welcome Are Lands succeeds in recreating an era by telling a compelling story of the ambitions, dreams, and tragedies of the individuals who made it.
Monterey County (CA) Herald
By Bob Walch
A sweeping novel that unfolds in Minnesota between 1850 and 1910, Welcome Are Lands by James Irwin Kruger chronicles the struggle of one's family's attempt to carve a lumber empire out of the wilderness of the northwest. Kruger's grasp of the early history of his native state makes this frontier epic all the more enjoyable because the family's travails and good fortune coincide with actual events that occurred in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The Salinas Californian
By Silas Spaeth
Set in Minnesota, the author's home state, Welcome Are Lands is a sweeping family epic that follows the Shevley family from the 1850s to the early 1900s. The principal characters are Vincent Shevley and his son, Stephen. Leaving his birthplace in Maine, Vincent moves his wife and young son to the frontier settlement of St. Anthony, which eventually becomes Minneapolis, and establishes a lumber mill. The successful businessman creates a powerful company that grows and prospers as the territory becomes a state and the small village is transformed into a major mid-western city. The human cost is high, though, as the struggle extracts an emotional toll on everyone, especially Vincent's wife. Groomed to succeed his father in the family business, Stephen's relationship with his father is a tumultuous one punctuated by periods of alienation. During these times the young man either flees to the northern logging camps or marches off to fight in the Civil War.
. . . The riveting account of Stephen's Civil War experiences with his unit, the First Minnesota, in the pivotal battles at Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg are worth "the price of admission." Also, the concluding section of the novel (after the war ends) moves along rapidly and contains some major twists that will take the reader by surprise (and also help to set up a sequel.) For those who enjoy sagas that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the resolute individuals who tamed the American frontier, this will be a pleasurable read.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
By Barbara Flanagan
Minnesotans write lots of books, good books. Out now for the holiday shopping season are a dandy bunch. My old friend James Irwin Kruger's novel is about Minnesota. Kruger, who started on this newspaper and went West to editorships on California newspapers, is now retired and he is writing. Welcome Are Lands is the book he always said he was going to write, and it's a good one.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Former City Editor Publishing - Again
Jim Kruger is at it again. The former city editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel has published his sixth novel. Welcome Are Lands is a historical novel about Minnesota frontier days, 1850-1910.
Kruger, a native of Minnesota attended the University there, graduating in 1952. It was at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he began his 42-year career in journalism. He retired in 1992 from the San Jose Mercury News as that paper's wire editor.
Welcome Are Lands is a family saga that takes place during Minnesota's lumbering era and was inspired by Kruger's own family's history.
Glen Martin, Benicia, CA
A very heartfelt bravo! As with The Bachelor Portraits, Welcome Are Lands ranks among the best works of fiction I have ever read.
BookWire Review
Kruger brilliantly depicts the dilemmas that a dreamer has to face and portrays his characters with a lot of insight. Welcome Are Lands is a must read for anyone who dares to dream and has the strength to pursue those dreams unflinchingly.
James Kruger, Author of Pennington's Patrimony, Welcome Are Lands, Stranger in the Mirror, The Secret Files of Moshe Shomier, Tiger Lily, The Bachelor Portraits, and Beach Street. James Kruger, Author of Pennington's Patrimony, Welcome Are Lands, Stranger in the Mirror, The Secret Files of Moshe Shomier, Tiger Lily, The Bachelor Portraits, and Beach Street.
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