I am sending this one back unread. It just didn't capture me. Sorry.

I adore Landvik's novels,. set as they often are in a part of the USA which is less familiar to me so I was pleased to see that 22 years after "Patty Jane's House of Curl," Lorna Landvik allows us to revisit the characters from this earlier novel in a stand-alone sequel.

The story is mainly narrated from Nora’s point of view over around 20 years — from the time Nora returns to Minnesota to her triplets’ college years. Two important plot points involve Ione receiving a communication from Oslo impelling her to return to Norway, and Nora purchasing a many-roomed lodge in northern Minnesota.

You don't have to have read the earlier novel because Landvik is able to incorporate enough background information to inform you whilst avoiding the trap of regurgitation that so many other, less skilled authors fall into (I am looking at you, Chris Carter!). This lovely, warm story is hygge and fika in book form- and no lesser for it too.

Thank you to Net Galley and University of Minnesota Press for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was looking forward to it, as I've read this author in the past, and enjoyed the previous book. This time, though, it was just difficult for me to connect with the characters or keep track of them. I had trouble focusing on the plot. I like the "tone" Landvik writes with, but maybe I need to try this one again another time...

Being of Norwegian descent, I always enjoy Lorna Landvik's books with their Norwegian and Minnesota characters. And characters they are! A crazy family with interesting people who are eccentric, loveable, maddening, funny, and always interesting.

This book was a slow starter for me - more so than usual for Landvik's books - and the changing time frames got to be a bit confusing at times. The story has a bit of everything though - laughs, tears, and an overall sense of knowing this family. And caring about them.

Review in attached link - please note the link is to a joint review of Patty Jane's House of Curl and this one

DNF. This was positively awful to read. The story was very disjointed and meandering and the characters were unimaginative and uninteresting.

Nora doesn't know she is pregnant with Sena, Ulla, and Grace, triplets that she conceived during a one night stand, when she visits Norway with the family matriarch, Ione. Ione is visiting Norway to visit Berit, the cousin the stole her first love, Edon, from her. On the trip, Nora meets doctor, Thomas, and falls head over heels for him while Ione and Edon rekindle their relationship. Patty Jane has just closed her salon and social club in order to spend more time with her artist boyfriend, Clyde Chuka, and son, Henry, when she gets a call for Nora with an offer to buy a lodge. The lodge is so generously priced that Nora can't help but take the owner up on the deal. Soon, the lodge becomes a meeting place for the entire family.

This was a sweet story, very reminiscent of chick-lit, and I enjoyed the characters. Ione is an outspoken, cinnamon bun baking grandma that has something to teach each and every one of her family members. Patty Jane is still married to Thor, a man who disappeared around Nora's birth and didn't materialize until she was fourteen with a head injury, but she, Thor, Clyde, and Ione still create a cohesive family for Nora and Henry, one in which Ione rejects the idea that she is not Henry's real grandmother simply because he is not Thor's son. Ione and Edon's relationship is one we all wish we will experience when we are older; dancing at home on Valentine's Day and making sure to spend every morning and evening together. I fell in love with the characters, even though there were quite a few and some readers may find them difficult to keep straight.

Landvik's writing style was just not my cup of tea. It is kind of choppy and the stories felt very rushed and manic, jumping between characters and stories. I didn't find it funny or witty, which the synopsis made it out to be. I was exposed to a culture that I was not previously familiar with (the family lives in Minnesota but is originally from Norway) but there wasn't much there, besides mentions of baked goods, to really help me understand the culture. Issues like love, death and eating disorders were glossed over for strange jokes that didn't work. I wish that the story had stayed with with the falling out between Ione and her cousin and wouldn't have rushed into other stories. I think that this novel would be good for readers who enjoy light chick-lit but don't demand that romance (or any one theme) dominates the story. It was an interesting, light read but one I could not find the humor or importance in.

Nora has a one-night stand on a camping trip which results in getting pregnant with triplets. Say what? Ok, you snagged me, Lorna! Before she learns of her impending trio of baby fun, she accompanies her grandma to Norway, unfolding the story of Ione. A chance encounter with an eccentric lady has Nora purchasing a lodge. Families, new friends, long time friends, acquaintances, lovers, so on and so forth come in an out and we get to learn about each and every one of them.

Sound all over the place? That's how I felt reading this novel. I had absolutely no idea going in that this was a sequel to Patty Jane's House of Curl! I think that had I read this first, I wouldn't have felt the disconnect that I did with these characters. Let me just say that they are quite the cast and each have a very distinct voice that the author wants you to hear. What I liked about this book is that it felt like you were basically watching their lives unfold with a bowl of popcorn (or a plate of gingerbread cookies) and a fancy tea (the iced variety). The ties that bind the family and the truths that come out over time are evident and true to form for what you would expect from a feel-good contemporary novel. I definitely appreciated some of the wit and humor that was brought into play. And anyone who brings up the Newlywed Game, making whoopee and Chuck Woolery (well, he goes hand in hand with the first two), has my seal of approval!

What didn't work for me, unfortunately, was the abrupt change throughout the book - are we in the past? Are we in the present? Wait, who is this and how do they integrate into this story line? I wanted to make a family tree and and add saplings on the side to try and remember the whole cast but invariably I ended up lost most of the time and thus not caring too much what happened or didn't happen. My favorite characters though were the triplets and my how they grow up so fast! Everything seemed to go by so quickly, but it was kind of nice to see the progression of the family. I think I just wanted something more substantial behind it - this is where I think maybe the first book would've helped? Maybe not? Personally, I think this was mostly a mismatch of book to reader.

At first, I had a hard time following the story and keeping track of all the characters. I didn’t realize this was the sequel to Patty Jane’s House of Curl, I feel you would know the characters better if you had read that book first. I feel like this story needs some editing to smooth some of the rough spots. I did love that the story was set in Minnesota and Norway. The story did make you laugh and at times cry.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for a fair & honest review.

Thank You to the University of Minnesota Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Lorna Landvik's novel, Once in a Blue Moon Lodge, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Set in both Minnesota and Norway, spanning decades, Lorna Landvik's latest novel, Once in a Blue Moon Lodge, continues the story of Patty Jane and her family. Patty Jane's daughter, Nora, finds herself falling in love with a Norwegian doctor, just as she discovers that she's pregnant with triples from a one-night stand. Ione, Patty Jane's mother, visits Norway to see her dying cousin and rekindles a romance with a boyfriend from her youth. Patty Jane has shut down her salon and is enjoying retired life with her long-time boyfriend. She also has a new venture, helping Nora start her lakeside lodge, including the reboot of Patty Jane's popular   learning series, where locals attend such things as lectures, concerts, and dance classes.

LIKE- I've been a longtime fan of Landvik's writing and I've enjoyed her previous novels. There is a sweetness to her storytelling, that I compare to something akin to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series. Both are filled with relatable, likable characters, and they each balance the heartbreak and joys of life. 

My favorite part of Once in a Blue Moon Lodge, was the flashbacks to Ione's childhood in Norway. This was the storyline that packed the biggest punch with regard to drama and mystery. I also enjoyed the setting of Norway. I have distant relatives in Norway, that like the characters in Landvik's novels, immigrated and ended up settling in Minnesota. Her characters, their gentle humor and world view, feel like home to me. It's this aspect that probably draws me towards Landvik's novels the most.

Landvik peppers her story with Norwegian words and phrases. "Uff Da" is a phrase that my mom used all of the time, but I was surprised by how many Norwegian words were similar or flat out the same, as ones that I know from being around my Swedish step-children. I've never been great with learning foreign languages, so it was exciting to make those connections.

DISLIKE- Once in a Blue Moon Lodge is not as compelling as Landvik's previous novels. I was unevenly interested in the various plots. For example, Silvia and Harry's courtship and Broadway musical aspirations/success felt forced. I wasn't very interested in the triplets. I thought about why this might be the case and I suspect that it had to do with the glut of plot lines and characters. There was so much going on, that I didn't have a chance to invest deeply in any one character or plot. I would have rather had less and felt more. My focus waning, I actually set Once in a Blue Moon Lodge, aside, and finished another book, before going back to Landvik. 

RECOMMEND- Maybe. Yes, if you've read Landvik's other books and need to find out what happens with her beloved characters. However, if this is your first time reading Landvik, I'd like to direct you to Patty Jane's House of Curl instead. Read Landvik, but don't start with this one!

Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik is like catnip for me. It’s the story of first, second, and third generation Scandinavian immigrants in Minnesota. The Rolvaag family in her book came from Norway. My grandparents came from Sweden, but except for Ole and Lena jokes and Syttende Mai, ethnic differences between Swedes and Norwegians are minimal in the ethnic enclave where my family settled. Everyone says “Uffda” more easily than “Damn” and has more than a casual acquaintance, fond or not, with lutefisk and lefse. After all, the most important phrase “mer kaffe” is the same in both languages.

Once in a Blue Moon Lodge is the sequel to Patty Jane’s House of Curl, telling the story of Nora, Patty Jane’s daughter. Patty Jane is still there and so is her mother-in-law, the family matriarch Ione. It begins when Patty Jane retires and sells her House of Curl, Etc. Nora has been the Etc for some time and is feeling at loose ends. An impromptu winter camping trip and a surprise trip to Norway lead to encounters with two men who dramatically change her life. While in Norway, she is offered the chance to buy a lakeside lodge from an eccentric and at Patty Sue’s urging jumps on it…and so the Once in a Blue Moon Lodge came to be.

A new generation of the family is born and grow to adulthood in this book that takes us from 1988 to the present. It’s a multi-generational family story and friends and family grow old and die. There are challenges to overcome, including sickness, old age, disability and depression. It’s the circle of life that makes us laugh and cry and laugh again. Through it all, the Rolvaag family is blessed and protected by the love they have for each other and their can-do spirit.

If you’re from Minnesota, a second, third, or even fourth generation Scandinavian American, you are likely to enjoy Once in a Blue Moon Lodge. If you are not, you might find it a bit self-indulgent and silly. But then, if you like Fannie Flagg’s madcap family stories, you will also love Landvik. This is not a book that takes itself too seriously. It presents Minnesota Nice at its curious, open-hearted best.

There’s a tradition of Scandinavian immigrant fiction that is long and rich in family sagas that span several books. The classics are O. E. Rolvaag’s Giants in the Earth series and Vilhelm Moberg’s The Emigrants series. For a more sentimental view, there is Thyra Ferré Björn’s stories of the Franzon’s. Then there is the light-hearted Kathryn Forbes Mama’s Bank Account which has some of the madcap element that distinguishes Landvik.

There’s a bit of tidying up loose ends, letting us know what happens to the customers who frequented Patty Jane’s House of Curl. Near the end, Lewis, a neighbor kid who spent a lot of his formative years with the Rolvaag family sends a parody “Christmas Letter” which seemed just perfect because the last chapters felt like the author’s Christmas letter to her readers. It was unnecessary from a literary standpoint, but if you’re writing the story for friends and family, well, then it an absolute necessity. And that’s what this book feels like, a book for friends and family of the Rolvaag’s and if you read the books, you can’t help but feel like part of the family.

This is a book that Minnesota Scandinavians will love. For me, it was wonderful, but my interest is particular.

Once in a Blue Moon Lodge will be released on April 11th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

When her mother sells this salon that has been a neighbourhood institution for rears, Nora Rolvaag goes off on a camping trip. With the intention of doing no more than roasting marshmallows round an open fire. However two chance encounters have enormous consequence and her get away turns out to be a retreat from her daily life than she ever expected.

There is a lot of characters in this book for the reader to keep up with. The author does have a nice style of writing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, University of Minnesota and the author Lorna Landvic for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finished this book. I didn't realize that this was a follow up book and when I started it, it was obvious that I would need to read the first book. There were so many characters with a history that needed to be known.

Thanks for the opportunity. I may read this if I ever get a chance to read her first book.

Landvik is very popular at our library, she's a fun writer. But this book I wished for less time lapse, more detail in the moment. Disappointing, but I know lots of our library readers will love it

I love Landvik's books and that this ties in with a previous volume is great but it also works completely alone too. Touches on some weighty issues but they do seem to be well & realistically handled

I found this book took a while to get going and then rushed as it neared the end. It covers quite an expanse of time and multiple characters and interactions. I did not know it was a sequel until after I had read it and whilst the previous book was published some time ago, I am sure readers who are already familiar with the central characters probably 'got it' far quicker than me! Where to start? There are several storylines which do tie together in the end but jump about for a long time beforehand and whilst a lot of the little stories within the bigger story are nice, it is a lot of information to take in and retain whilst still trying to 'read for pleasure'. The book begins with Nora finding out that she is pregnant with triplets, from there it works backwards informing the reader of the story behind this event and at the same time introducing copious amounts of characters - explaining their relationships along the way. We then jump to Norway where we learn of Nora's grandmother's past and long lost love....and also find love for Nora, before whizzing back over to the USA where Nora has miraculously been offered very cheaply Blue Moon Lodge (later named) after a chance encounter with its current owner. Once all of the characters are on American soil, the story moves between Blue Moon Lodge, Patty's House of Curl and SW America where Nora's stepfather (so called) exhibits his native American art. The swirling of locations gradually slows as they all gravitate to Blue Moon Lodge and we then romp through everyone getting old or growing up!
All of that said, the characters are very likeable and well formed. Central to all of the mini stories are strong, independent women and that this the thread that binds. It is perhaps also a lesson in embracing the unexpected. I actually really liked the book in the end and felt involved in the characters somewhat chaotic lives - I missed that when it ended. It is worth persevering with and for that reason I will be recommending it to my book club but don't think I will be buying it for my (school) library.

I liked getting to know this family that coped with the crazy things life threw at them with good humor. I felt like I knew these characters, of course I did grow up in a very Norwegian neighborhood,. The characters were true to their roots.

I had a hard time getting into and finishing this book. I have liked her other books but the characters and story line just did not hold my interest

I was looking forward to this book after reading Patty Jane's House of Curl. I was disappointed! I didn't even finish the book

For Minnesotan readers they will love all the local mentions. Landvik has an interesting way with words and delivers a story full of colorful characters.