The Mailman Is Ready For Delivery


 It's Here!

My first book, The Icelandic Postman, has been released.  Click here to purchase.

I started this project in 2014 while vacationing at the Sherwood Point lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin, about a year after our last trip to Iceland.  I had been inspired by a visit to Holar University in Northern Iceland, which at that time featured a display about early Icelandic mailmen.  I mentioned to the folks there that my great-great-great-grandfather has been a postman in Iceland and they actually recognized his name!  Later, digging into some family history written by my great-uncle, Bill Freeman, I decided, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could kind of fill in the blanks and tell my ancestor's story in a way that just might have happened?"  

The events in the book are based on the actual stories we know, with details filled in as, again, they might have happened.  A great deal of research, writing, rewriting, editing, and tons of help from a lot of gracious people later, the book was finally ready to go in early October, 2021 and was released to the public on December 1.

For those of you with an interest in family histories, genealogy, immigration, Scandinavian history or just good old adventure, The Icelandic Postman will keep you interested and entertained for a good long time.  Thanks in advance for reading.  Please leave me some feedback.  If you liked the book, say so on the Amazon page.  If you didn't like it, well, leave me a message here...

Takk fyrir,

Chris


Comments

  1. Jane FreemanFebruary 1, 2022 at 6:33 AM

    I have just ordered two of your books! My husband is Andrew Freeman and his father grew up in Upham. His brother George Freeman did a lot of ancestors research as well! Looking forward to reading this!
    Jane Freeman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Madison and MeFebruary 1, 2022 at 6:44 AM

      Well, hello, Jane! And thank you! I'm so gratified that people are responding well to this labor of love. Funny you mention George - his name came up on the Icelandic Roots podcast recently as one of the great contributors to the project. I do hope you enjoy the book and please give my best to all the extended family! Very warm regards, Chris

      p.s. - You might notice that the reply is under the name Madison and Me - that's my other blog, about the US Constitution and I can't figure out how to switch profiles to my author page! Technology....

      Delete
  2. Brian BorgfordFebruary 6, 2022 at 4:40 PM

    Thanks so much for writing and publishing the story of John Post. I enjoyed it front to back. While reading, I kept referring to the Icelandic Roots database and the Icelandic census to compare the real history with your fictional account. Tracks pretty close. I have posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

    It appears that John Post and his son travelled on the same boats as my grandmother (Guðrún Þórðardóttir I464973 - 9 years old at the time), leaving Iceland and coming to Canada. I see that you have the Camoens going straight to Canada. I’m sure that’s for literary effect. The Camoens travelled to a port in Edinburgh and then the passengers took a train to Glasgow where they caught the Buenos Aryea to Quebec.

    I read a story by a young lady who travelled on the same voyage. You can read her story on IR - Dagbjört Dagbjartsdóttir I396679.

    Your ancestors settled in Akranes, not far where my family originated. I have followed a similar path as you in doing family research, including a trip to Iceland in 2015. I have written a couple of books on my research, including my grandfather’s bio. They are available on Amazon, but most are also available for download on the IR database. See:
    Þorsteinn \ Thorsteinn Sæmundsson \ Borgford I464972

    In addition to his bio, I published my grandfather’s memoir written in the 1940s and I wrote a young adult novel based on his early life.

    I am now documenting my great-grandmother’s life and plan on writing a fictional novel based on her life, similar to what you have done with Jon Post. See: Helga Glisladottir I464975

    Again, thanks for your contribution to Icelandic history. Good luck with your future endeavours.

    Brian Borgford IR person ID I556445

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Madison and MeFebruary 7, 2022 at 6:28 PM

      Wow! What a great comment! So much to unpack here - I'm traveling now but will post a more complete reply soon. Best wishes!

      Delete
    2. Madison and MeFebruary 10, 2022 at 11:48 AM

      Brian, Thanks again for such a great set of comments and for the reviews! I'll definitely dig into that story of the sea voyage - must be fascinating! I'll also be looking for your books - always like to support a struggling young author, right?

      This gives me so much to digest, and so many people on IR have been so gracious with their comments, it's a bit overwhelming - but in a good way! And it seems we are working on similar projects - I'm starting the sequel to my book, and it's based on my own great-great-grandfather's journal. So nice to see people keeping these stories alive.

      Thanks again and please stay in touch!

      Best regards, Chris

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Unreliable Witness

Image
  My newest novel, An Unreliable Witness, is finally released!  I started this book almost ten years ago, based on thinking about what the worst part of a police officer's job is (don't ask me why I was thinking that - it's just my weird brain).  From there, I filled in a story set in the time and place of my adolescence.  Here's the pitch: "On a snowy night near Baldwin, Wisconsin, in the mid-1980s, a car leaves the road, killing one local girl and sending her best friend to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Sheriff Jeff Sanderson, with help from his computer whiz ex-wife, his wisecracking new deputy, a flirty diner waitress, and a local high school hockey star look into the accident and begin to wonder if it really was just an accident." Hooked yet? I hope so. You'll also notice that the subtitle says, "Book One". I pretty much committed to making this a series. Stand by... You can buy it now here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C...
Read more