FARGO — Nearly 200 years after 45 Norwegians boarded a small ship called Restoration and began the first organized emigration to the United States, the Red River Valley is preparing to welcome one of Norway’s most celebrated contemporary authors.

Lars Mytting, whose historical novel "The Bell in the Lake" has been chosen for the 2025 One Book, One Community program, will visit Concordia College on Sept. 29 to discuss his work with local readers.

He’ll meet a crowd that feels like home.

According to U.S. Census data, North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota have the highest percentage of residents claiming Norwegian ancestry in the nation.

Close to one in three North Dakotans and around 13–17 percent of Minnesotans can trace their roots back to Norway.

In all, more than one million

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