The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestors, Stories, and the Spirits We Inherit
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- Create Date：2021-09-19 10:20:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lori Erickson
- ISBN：0664267033
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Summary
Growing up in a passionately Norwegian-American Iowa town， Lori Erickson rolled her eyes at traditions like Nordic Fest and steaming pots of rømmegrøt。 But like many Americans， she eventually felt drawn to genealogy， the "quintessential hobby of middle age。" Her quest to know more about the Vikings and immigrants who perch in her family tree led her to visit Norse settlements and reenactments， medieval villages and modern museums， her picturesque hometown and her ancestor's farm on the fjords。
Along the way， Erickson discovers how her soul has been shaped by her ancestors and finds unexpected spiritual guides among the seafaring Vikings and her hardscrabble immigrant forebears。 Erickson's far-ranging journeys and spiritual musings show us how researching family history can be a powerful tool for inner growth。 Travel with Erickson in The Soul of the Family Tree to learn how the spirits of your ancestral past can guide you today。
Along the way， Erickson discovers how her soul has been shaped by her ancestors and finds unexpected spiritual guides among the seafaring Vikings and her hardscrabble immigrant forebears。 Erickson's far-ranging journeys and spiritual musings show us how researching family history can be a powerful tool for inner growth。 Travel with Erickson in The Soul of the Family Tree to learn how the spirits of your ancestral past can guide you today。
Reviews
Heidi
，
I think I was looking for a book that would reflect more on the meaning of ancestry on a sort of larger level， on how our ancestors are and are not a part of who we are， especially as white people - since we tend to discard our ethnic identities after being in the USA for a while。 This was fun and Erickson addresses some of these questions， but this is a book particularly about her own journey and her Nordic ancestry， perhaps encouraging us to do our own travel and exploring along these same lin I think I was looking for a book that would reflect more on the meaning of ancestry on a sort of larger level， on how our ancestors are and are not a part of who we are， especially as white people - since we tend to discard our ethnic identities after being in the USA for a while。 This was fun and Erickson addresses some of these questions， but this is a book particularly about her own journey and her Nordic ancestry， perhaps encouraging us to do our own travel and exploring along these same lines in our own lives。 。。。more
Darcy
，
This is a lovely story。。。a personal search by one woman to fit into the larger picture of her Norwegian ancestors takes her all the way back to those marauding Vikings。 It's a very fun trip！ This is a lovely story。。。a personal search by one woman to fit into the larger picture of her Norwegian ancestors takes her all the way back to those marauding Vikings。 It's a very fun trip！ 。。。more
Candace S。
，
I confess that this book was different than I expected。 I loved the concept—exploring your own genealogy to better connect with your historical and spiritual ancestry。 In tracing her own Norse heritage， Erickson discovered the concept of öorlog: “a combination of our DNA， ancestral karma， and inherited conditions， plus the accumulation of our actions， words， and intentions in our present lifetimes。” And I think this book is at its best when it’s exploring this idea: how we are spiritually connec I confess that this book was different than I expected。 I loved the concept—exploring your own genealogy to better connect with your historical and spiritual ancestry。 In tracing her own Norse heritage， Erickson discovered the concept of öorlog: “a combination of our DNA， ancestral karma， and inherited conditions， plus the accumulation of our actions， words， and intentions in our present lifetimes。” And I think this book is at its best when it’s exploring this idea: how we are spiritually connected to our past。 I loved the concept of “creating new storylines with ancient materials” in order to better understand ourselves。 I was less interested in the long stretches where it delved into long history lessons on Nordic and Viking culture without bringing it back to the ways she incorporates this knowledge into her modern life。 If you have a lot of interest in Norse and Viking history and religion you will likely really enjoy this book。 If you are looking for a model for how to incorporate such a spiritual journey into your own life， you’ll need to look elsewhere。Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press， the author， and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for review。 。。。more
Linda Weilgart
，
This book is eminently readable for all kinds of people， even for those not especially interested in genealogy or their Norwegian heritage。 Probably because my parents are first generation immigrants， genealogy is not something I feel compelled to research beyond what my family already knows， which is about back to my great-grandparents' level。 Lori， however， writes so engagingly and personally， drawing the reader in to her own story of researching her past ancestors to Norway while weaving in r This book is eminently readable for all kinds of people， even for those not especially interested in genealogy or their Norwegian heritage。 Probably because my parents are first generation immigrants， genealogy is not something I feel compelled to research beyond what my family already knows， which is about back to my great-grandparents' level。 Lori， however， writes so engagingly and personally， drawing the reader in to her own story of researching her past ancestors to Norway while weaving in religion and spirituality， so the quest becomes manifold。 She educates us about the pagan Norse gods， the history of the Vikings， and their eventual transformation to Christianity and ultimately， Lutheranism。 Her travels in this quest take her to Norway， Iceland， L'Anse aux Meadows， Canada， and places in the US， where she gathers impressions and information。 She is able to find a Viking that particularly speaks to her， and with whom she identifies--Gudrid the Far Traveler， who is indeed an impressive woman who conquered huge obstacles to achieve what she did。 I especially appreciated the focus on spiritual beliefs as a part of ancestry that is harder to pin down than DNA， though also valuable in gaining a deeper understanding of who we are and where we came from。 Lori chooses her own spiritual ancestors by which ones influenced her and guided her to the beliefs she now possesses。 Ultimately， Lori shows us that each one of us is a mixture of the DNA and culture of our ancestors， melded with the belief systems and culture we have arrived at， partially by choice and partially by background。 I think one of the most important things to us is a feeling of connection with others。 Reaching back into history and finding strength from those that came before us provide one such connection。 We also gain inspiration from the hardships they endured and the sacrifices they made， urging us to make the most of them so they were not in vain。 I think this book speaks to people of all interests， mainly because the themes are universal， and the book is well-written with sparkles of humor interspersed throughout。 I was given an advance copy to review from Westminster John Knox Press， for which I am grateful。 。。。more
Trudy Foote
，
Erickson’s book is offering the reader a roundtrip ticket to a pilgrimage in discovering the heart of their own ancestry。 Inside is a guidebook to follow as you create your journey。 This memoir is exploring the author’s Scandinavian roots that not only informs but inspires。 Erickson shares in detail the steps to her discoveries and how it goes beyond Norwegian Vikings， Norse foods and annual festivals。 In reporting her lineage also known as Oorlog in Nordic terms， she reveals the female side。 Of Erickson’s book is offering the reader a roundtrip ticket to a pilgrimage in discovering the heart of their own ancestry。 Inside is a guidebook to follow as you create your journey。 This memoir is exploring the author’s Scandinavian roots that not only informs but inspires。 Erickson shares in detail the steps to her discoveries and how it goes beyond Norwegian Vikings， Norse foods and annual festivals。 In reporting her lineage also known as Oorlog in Nordic terms， she reveals the female side。 Often times women are reduced to a mere mention， a dot on the family tree or worse yet， portrayed in a negative light。 There is an entire chapter on the folklore behind Volva a female staff carrying spiritual leader。 Erickson was inspired through her research to create the term ‘spiritual DNA’ that goes beyond the spit in the tube of ones genealogy。 This memoir is a real balance of stories to give us the whole picture of how our past has the power to return us to today， transformed。 。。。more
Tami
，
Those who have an interest in genealogy and Scandinavian history will enjoy Lori Erickson’s new book about searching her family tree and how it relates to her spiritual life。To my knowledge， I have no family background that includes any Vikings， but I found this intriguing and enjoyed how she included the myths and related them to how we view the world today。Erickson was fortunate enough to be able to travel to the places that related to her family history and was even able to find the location Those who have an interest in genealogy and Scandinavian history will enjoy Lori Erickson’s new book about searching her family tree and how it relates to her spiritual life。To my knowledge， I have no family background that includes any Vikings， but I found this intriguing and enjoyed how she included the myths and related them to how we view the world today。Erickson was fortunate enough to be able to travel to the places that related to her family history and was even able to find the location of the land they once farmed。There are photographs included， so that made the experience of reading this even more relatable。Many thanks to NetGalley and Westminster John Know Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review。 。。。more
Dave Foster
，
The Soul of the Family Tree。 The title is the theme。 The background is that genealogy is more than a bunch of beggating， who begat whom。 It is often where we start when researching out ancestors， compiling a list of who was born， lived， married， had a family， and died and when and where this happened。 But Lori Erickson wanted to learn and feel the “why”。 Why did this person live here， was it simply a matter of being born there？ Why was that person willing to risk their life， their tie to the loc The Soul of the Family Tree。 The title is the theme。 The background is that genealogy is more than a bunch of beggating， who begat whom。 It is often where we start when researching out ancestors， compiling a list of who was born， lived， married， had a family， and died and when and where this happened。 But Lori Erickson wanted to learn and feel the “why”。 Why did this person live here， was it simply a matter of being born there？ Why was that person willing to risk their life， their tie to the local family， to travel or to search or move permanently？ Was it a search for wealth？ For religious freedom？ Was it fear？In Lori Erickson’s case， this was part of her search for her genetic roots but also the roots of her soul。 The book is both personal to her and general to all of us out there who want to understand our connection to our pasts。 The focus is on her search， her goal of understanding her background， and of understanding her need to search。 Is it because of her “Viking” heritage since they were a people famed for their history of striking out into the unknown？The book is a travel story as well as a personal story。 Lori Erickson explains her paper research and her goal of feeling a connection with her ancestors by traveling to stand where they stood and feeling the dirt that they walked on。 The author makes that connection， and also learns that not all family history is glamourous， and that there is good， bad， and ugly。 I enjoyed the reading experience。 It gets a thumbs up from me。 。。。more
Gwen
，
This book was ok。 The first part was interesting but I had to slug my way through to the end。 It went on and on about the Vikings and I think if the first part had continued thru the book it would have been better but that's my opinion。 This book was ok。 The first part was interesting but I had to slug my way through to the end。 It went on and on about the Vikings and I think if the first part had continued thru the book it would have been better but that's my opinion。 。。。more
Pattie
，
Not what I thought - but interesting。
Jennifer Lara
，
The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestry， Stories， and the Spirits We Inherit by Lori Erikson is her journey as she investigated her own family tree。 Growing up in a passionately Norwegian-American Iowa town， she would roll her eyes at traditions like the Nordic Fest and steaming pots of rømmegrøt （a Norwegian porridge）。 Like many Americans， she eventually felt the draw of her genealogy as she calls the “quintessential hobby of middle age。” Her quest to know more about the Vikings and the immigrant The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestry， Stories， and the Spirits We Inherit by Lori Erikson is her journey as she investigated her own family tree。 Growing up in a passionately Norwegian-American Iowa town， she would roll her eyes at traditions like the Nordic Fest and steaming pots of rømmegrøt （a Norwegian porridge）。 Like many Americans， she eventually felt the draw of her genealogy as she calls the “quintessential hobby of middle age。” Her quest to know more about the Vikings and the immigrants who make up her family tree would lead her to visit Norse settlements and reenactments， medieval villages and modern museums， and her own hometown and ancestral farms on the fjords。 While on this journey， she discovers how her soul has been shaped by her ancestors and finds unexpected spiritual guides among the seafaring Vikings and her immigrant ancestors。 Can her journey show us how researching our own family history can be a powerful tool for inner growth？ In The Soul of the Family Tree is a journey into more than just names and dates in the historical record。 It is a journey to understand， know and connect with our ancestors。 I have long been interested in my family history。 I loved listening to stories about my ancestors。 So a book about genealogy would be interesting。 While most of the book is more a memoir about Ms。 Erickson’s journey about her Norwegian heritage， the second half of the book does bring through the questions that are raised with a genealogy investigation particularly with the family stories that have been passed on， only to be discovered to be embellished or outright wrong。 Part history lesson， part memoir， and part spiritual journey， The Soul of the Family Tree is a fascinating look into our connections with our ancestors and their place in historical events。 Overall， I enjoyed reading Ms。 Erickson’s journey。 If you are interested in Viking history and a genealogy journey， you may enjoy The Soul of the Family Tree。 The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestry， Stories and the Spirits We Inheritis available August 24， 2021 in paperback and eBook 。。。more
Carol Custer
，
I enjoyed this book and I think it will appeal to different people for different things。 Some will like the historical aspects， some the family histories， and some the descriptions of Norway。 For me， my favorite parts were about the author thinking about her ancestors and I took a virtual trip with her to Norway - a trip I'll likely never make - as she retraced the steps of her ancestors。 And mine。 I couldn't help but think about my grandparents who came from Norway as a young married couple and I enjoyed this book and I think it will appeal to different people for different things。 Some will like the historical aspects， some the family histories， and some the descriptions of Norway。 For me， my favorite parts were about the author thinking about her ancestors and I took a virtual trip with her to Norway - a trip I'll likely never make - as she retraced the steps of her ancestors。 And mine。 I couldn't help but think about my grandparents who came from Norway as a young married couple and settled in Minnesota。 I think especially about my Grandmother - still a teenager - who couldn't speak English， and how she must have missed her family。 They never returned to Norway though she especially， longed to。This was a fascinating look at my heritage。 。。。more
Karen Downing
，
It’s a fitting start to The Soul of the Family Tree to begin with these words， “I wander…” and a photo of a statue of Gudrid， the Far Traveler。 Journeying with Lori Erickson means a “wandering” from place to place， from past to present， from other to self as she discovers how her personal spiritual journey fits into a larger narrative。While this book can function as a how-to guide for those interested in genealogy， the book is more expensive than uncovering a family tree。 Erickson is determined It’s a fitting start to The Soul of the Family Tree to begin with these words， “I wander…” and a photo of a statue of Gudrid， the Far Traveler。 Journeying with Lori Erickson means a “wandering” from place to place， from past to present， from other to self as she discovers how her personal spiritual journey fits into a larger narrative。While this book can function as a how-to guide for those interested in genealogy， the book is more expensive than uncovering a family tree。 Erickson is determined to better understand her spiritual DNA， and in doing so， models for readers how to live into that broader inquiry。Erickson’s pilgrimages take her from Decorah， Iowa to Norway， from spending time with Viking reenactors to delving into the mystery of the Kensington Rune Stone。 Fans of Erickson’s other books will notice the consistent voice that makes for such pleasant company， one graced with humor， good will， and curiosity。 As she explores the liminal places that take us to the realms of “betwixt and between，” she suggests that humility be brought to bear when examining our genealogical baggage。As Camus said， all travel involves a return to the self。 Erickson adopts Gudrid as her foremother， and through Gudrid’s story and the narratives of other Vikings， Erickson better understands her own place in the world。 We need not travel far to do this。 While Erickson did journey to other places， she reminds us that imagination can be a primary tool for accessing the past。Not all readers will share Erickson’s Norweigan roots， but we are all related through the universality of story。 In the twenty-first century， it’s easy to cocoon in our own isolated worlds， but Erickson’s wisdom suggests that we are in relationship with those who lived in the past， and that we want to consider what legacy we might leave for those generations to come。 。。。more
T
，
As someone who has also done the spit test， waited several weeks， and then gotten back results to discover previously unknown Norwegian （and Swedish） ancestry， this book sparked an interest。 While， obviously， it is predicated on DNA science， don’t let that dissuade you。 The author succinctly summarizes how it works and then it’s back to the history of her lineage （and the Vikings）。 I was also fascinated to learn about the concept of Ørlog which almost read as epigenetics。 The first half of the b As someone who has also done the spit test， waited several weeks， and then gotten back results to discover previously unknown Norwegian （and Swedish） ancestry， this book sparked an interest。 While， obviously， it is predicated on DNA science， don’t let that dissuade you。 The author succinctly summarizes how it works and then it’s back to the history of her lineage （and the Vikings）。 I was also fascinated to learn about the concept of Ørlog which almost read as epigenetics。 The first half of the book was interesting， where there was an overview of Viking history （if you’re looking for something more in-depth on the history， there are quite a few recent publications to look in to， Arthur Herman and Nancy Marie Brown in particular）。 However， once the book returned stateside， it dragged a bit for me and I found myself having to push through to finish。There was an interesting point made as to why DNA testing is so prevalent in the US compared to elsewhere。 Americans don’t have the same ties， whereas elsewhere， as the relative in Norway stated， people have been living where their families have always lived （or， at the least， somewhat nearby）。 The US， however， doesn’t have that because of the makeup of this nation， indigenous people and descendants of slave notwithstanding， we are a nation of immigrants who have （though many times wrongly） moved around this country。One thing I do have to caution against， even though it was what set the author off on her quest， is don’t use the Icelandic landscape as your outdoor bathroom。 That is incredibly frowned upon and there have been multiple news stories in Iceland asking tourists to refrain from engaging in this practice because it destroys the delicate flora。 Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this title for me to read and review。> 。。。more
Meghann Russell
，
I liked how she winds you into her life story about finding her way into the beginning of her ancestry and how she had to dig into the past to find the beginning。 As a person who is doing just that， I felt very connected to her。 It is a struggle to get so far at a fast pace and then get stuck。
Randal White
，
I requested this book from NetGalley， thinking it was going to be about genealogy。 The beginning was， but where the book really grabs you is when the author starts talking about Norse history。 Being of Norwegian heritage， I found her stories and anecdotes to be very interesting。 I read several of them to my wife （who is even more Norwegian than me）。 It was educational and fun。
PamG
，
The Soul of the Family Tree – Ancestors， Stories， and the Spirits We Inherit by Lori Erickson is categorized as genealogy but also as inspiration and spirituality and religion and spirituality。 To me， there was some genealogy， but to me it felt like a memoir where the author was writing about an important part of her life; exploring the influences that helped shape her。 She grew up in the Norwegian American town of Decorah， Iowa。While the author’s fascination began with genetic heritage， it The Soul of the Family Tree – Ancestors， Stories， and the Spirits We Inherit by Lori Erickson is categorized as genealogy but also as inspiration and spirituality and religion and spirituality。 To me， there was some genealogy， but to me it felt like a memoir where the author was writing about an important part of her life; exploring the influences that helped shape her。 She grew up in the Norwegian American town of Decorah， Iowa。While the author’s fascination began with genetic heritage， it moved on to how forces in the past may have impacted her。 Could some of her traits such as her love for travel have been passed down to her？ She felt she shared more with her ancestors than just DNA。 Her explorations included visits to Newfoundland as she explored information about Vinland， visits to various museums and to several locations in Norway， participation in a Viking reenactment， and even learning about Norse runes。 She was fascinated by the number of authors， artists， musicians， and scholars that have been influenced by Norse culture and how it has been reinterpreted。There is only a small amount of information on DNA and primary versus secondary source documents used in genealogy research。 Most of the book is the author’s personal journey to help her better understand herself and those that influenced her whether it was people， religion， traditions or something else。This book was not quite what I expected， but I am glad I read it。 I learned a few things and enjoyed the occasional humor。 If you are interested in Vikings lore， this book spends a lot of time exploring various aspects of it。 It is not an in-depth book on genealogy。Westminster John Knox Press and Lori Erickson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley。 This is my honest review。 Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way。 Publication date is currently set for August 24， 2021。 。。。more
Tina
，
I have to say I like the first part of this book， and what I loved about this book is the family tree parts。 Then， The book took a turn to everything about the Norwegian/Vikings。 I found the parts about Norwegian/Vikings boring and that was most of the book。 I wanted more about genealogical research/Family tree stuff。 This book was just not for me。 I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher （Westminster John Knox Press） or author （Lori Erickson） via NetGalley， so I can give ho I have to say I like the first part of this book， and what I loved about this book is the family tree parts。 Then， The book took a turn to everything about the Norwegian/Vikings。 I found the parts about Norwegian/Vikings boring and that was most of the book。 I wanted more about genealogical research/Family tree stuff。 This book was just not for me。 I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher （Westminster John Knox Press） or author （Lori Erickson） via NetGalley， so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book。 I want to send a big Thank you to them for that。 。。。more
Lori
，
Lori Erickson became interested in her family history， but her infatuation focused more on the Norwegian ethnicity and potential connection to Leif Ericson than to correctly tracing her ancestry or a true exploration of her spiritual heritage。 For most of the book she focused on what she wanted to learn rather than verifying the information first。 While the narrative does not bore， it fails to demonstrate sound genealogical research。 It does perhaps emphasize the influence of epigenetics。 She fi Lori Erickson became interested in her family history， but her infatuation focused more on the Norwegian ethnicity and potential connection to Leif Ericson than to correctly tracing her ancestry or a true exploration of her spiritual heritage。 For most of the book she focused on what she wanted to learn rather than verifying the information first。 While the narrative does not bore， it fails to demonstrate sound genealogical research。 It does perhaps emphasize the influence of epigenetics。 She finally visited a museum， hiring a research to investigate one line。 Although she mentions the conversion of many Norwegians to the Lutheran faith and Norse mythology， she never really explored those connections in the light of her own family history。 It seemed to be more at a macro level than the micro level。 I found myself disappointed a Christian publishing house published this book whose author's own statements fail to acknowledge the power of the Cross， opting instead for a dualistic-type religion。 This review is based on an advance readers' edition provided through LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review。 （2。5 stars） 。。。more
Michelle
，