Hilda

The Biography of an Old-Fashioned Girl in an Old-Fashioned World

In 1881 Carl and Gunilla Swensson traveled from Malmo, Sweden to America in search of a better life for themselves and their three children. Hilda, the youngest daughter, was three years old at the time. The Swenssons, whose name was changed to Swanson at Ellis Island, settled in Northeast Minneapolis where they opened a boarding house on Harrison Street. Hilda the Biography of an Old-Fashioned Girl in an Old-Fashioned World, is a tribute to Hilda Johnsons life written by her daughter, Semona Whitney. The story reads like a novel. Historical and suitable for adults and children alike, it is a vivid portrait of life's chances, losses, and triumphs in another era. Disabled in early childhood by rickets, Hilda cannot run and play outside with the other children. But when a music teacher gives "stahkars litten Hilda" ("poor little Hilda") piano lessons in exchange for a room at the Swanson boarding house, Hilda's adventures begin. Her music takes her as a young adult across the frozen Midwest with Alexander Bull, son of the famous Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, and back to the drawing rooms of the Minneapolis elite. Hilda struggles between her love for music and her longing for family, between independence and duty, finding at last her true love. A remarkable woman, Hilda viewed life with humor and lived it with passion. This book is her story.