Danish Emigrants to America with Jesper Bugge Kold

Jesper Bugge Kold draws on his novel series to tell the story of approximately 300,000 Danes who sought their fortune in America from 1850 onwards - a figure representing roughly 10% of Denmark's population at that time.

The series centers on the family Johanne and Jens, who leave Denmark in 1879. The novel is rooted in Kold's own relative Peter Julius Christensen, who emigrated the same year, and whose letters formed the foundation for the story. For Johanne, it is about more than hope for a better life - a secret from her past leaves her with little choice. Jens departs first to find land; a year and a half later, Johanne and the children follow. Eventually the family settles on the Nebraska prairie, but the land does not yield without struggle.

The trilogy consists of "Where the Wind Turns", "Where the Fire Burns", and "Where the Journey Ends". It has earned Kold several prize nominations and the title of Author of the Year 2025 on plusbog.dk. The third and final volume is released on September 4, 2026.