My sanity packed it's bags
In 1844, the Nilsson family lives on a small farm in the woods at Korpamoen in Ljuder Parish in the Swedish province of Småland. The eldest son, Karl Oskar, takes charge of the farm after his father, Nils, is injured when moving a large rock. Karl Oskar marries Kristina Johansdotter, and she moves to Korpamoen to live with him and his parents. In the following years, Karl Oskar and Kristina start a family, starting with Anna, who is followed by Johan, Märta and Harald. The family struggles with rock filled fields, poor weather, and bad harvests, leaving them hungry and in debt. Kristina rebukes Karl Oskar for his irreligious attitude, which she thinks is the cause of some of their troubles.Karl Oskar's daydreaming and bookish younger brother, Robert, tired of being overworked and regularly beaten as an indentured farmhand at Aron's farm, reads about how wonderful life is in America and decides he is going to emigrate. He asks Arvid, his friend and fellow farmhand, to come with him, and Arvid eagerly agrees, but the pair's hopes are dashed when they realize they can not afford their passage. Robert confronts Karl Oskar selling his share of the family farm, only to find that Karl Oskar has also privately been considering the idea of going to America. Kristina is unenthusiastic about the move, despite the potential for a better life, because she does not want to leave her homeland and has concerns about the arduous journey that would be required. However, when Anna dies after gorging herself on uncooked porridge, which expands and damages her stomach, Kristina, devastated by the loss, agrees to Karl Oskar's plan and they begin making preparations to leave Sweden. The party of emigrants travels south to the port city of Karlshamn, where they board the wooden brig Charlotta, which is bound for New York City. On board, Karl Oskar and Kristina meet Måns and Fina-Kajsa Andersson, an elderly couple heading for the Minnesota Territory, where they plan to settle on their son Anders' farm near a town called Taylor's Falls. After hearing how good the land is there, Karl Oskar and Kristina decide to follow them. During the voyage, Inga-Lena and Måns Andersson die of unrelated sudden illnesses, and Kristina nearly dies from a severe nosebleed.Upon their arrival in New York, Karl Oskar and his party, along with Fina-Kajsa, begin the long journey westward to Minnesota, first by train, and then by riverboat. Throughout the whole journey from Sweden, the pious Kristina has been prejudiced against Ulrika for her past immorality, but they reconcile after Ulrika finds one of Kristina's children, who had gone missing at a riverboat stop and was almost left behind. Not long after this, while still on the riverboat, Danjel's infant daughter dies after a brief illness. The family initially shelters in a shanty and Karl Oskar puts all of his energy and resources into building a more permanent house. He begins clearing the land of the pine trees, and, with the help of Robert, Arvid, and some of their Swedish neighbors, completes a small farmhouse before winter. At the housewarming party, the assembled Swedish settlers, which include Danjel, Kristina's uncle, and Ulrika, now a close friend to Kristina, discuss whether they regret emigrating. Kristina, feeling homesick, bursts into tears In 1850, Karl Oskar Nilsson, his wife Kristina, and their three children, along with Karl Oskar's younger brother Robert and Robert's friend Arvid, arrive in what is now known as the Chisago Lakes area in Minnesota after enduring an arduous sea and overland trip from Sweden. Robert and Arvid leave for the West to seek their fortune in the California Gold Rush. After several years, Robert returns alone to Karl Oskar's farm. He gives his brother and Kristina a big stack of banknotes. Having felt that Karl Oskar looked down on him, Robert says that the money is only a small part of what he got for the gold he found. Via flashbacks, it is revealed that he also suffered a series of misfortunes. After working their way west, Robert and Arvid got lost in the desert while looking for a stray pack donkey. Arvid died after drinking poisoned water. Robert was rescued by their Hispanic guide, who took him to a village in the Sierra Nevada. After spending some time on his own in a small town, Robert exchanged the coins for lighter banknotes and headed back to Minnesota. Karl Oskar discovers that Robert has been cheated, as the banknotes are worthless. Robert is distraught and, having refused to seek medical help for a persistent cough, dies a short time later. In the following years, Karl Oskar becomes an American citizen and tries to volunteer to serve in the Civil War, but he is rejected Overwhelmed by grief, widower Karl Oskar withdraws into solitude as his children grow up and start families of their own. He often visits Kristina's grave overlooking the lake. Kristina's grave marker reads: "We Shall Meet Again". He tends the plot and can hear hammering sounds from the work of numerous other Swedes who have begun moving into the area. Karl Oskar dies on 7 December 1890. His children have become more American and forgotten most of their Swedish language. A neighbor, Axel J. Andersson, writes a letter to Karl Oskar's sister Lydia in Sweden to inform her of his death. Included with the letter and visible to viewers is a family photograph showing Karl Oskar surrounded by his many children and grandchildren.
