What happens when a simple farmer dares to challenge the powerful officials shaping a young nation?
Told by a direct descendant, this deeply researched genealogical biography follows the life of Nils Trulsen Bru (1776–1823), a farmer and fisherman from a small island near Stavanger whose courage placed him at the center of Norway’s early fight for freedom, representation, and justice.
Guided by five defining forces—family, farm, faith, fishing, and freedom of speech—Bru rose from rural farmer to outspoken advocate for ordinary Norwegians. He supported religious reformer Hans Nielsen Hauge, resisted unjust church tithes, and argued that farmers should elect representatives from their own class to Norway’s newly formed parliament.
When Bru anonymously published a political broadside calling for greater representation of common people, authorities responded with court battles and political investigations. Refusing to be silenced, Bru defended himself using Norway’s new constitution and ultimately returned to the Storting, helping shape the early political life of the young nation.
Drawing on archival documents and newly uncovered historical materials, this vivid microhistory brings to life the turbulent years surrounding Norway’s 1814 constitution and the growing movement among farmers and fishermen to claim their political voice.
Perfect for readers who enjoy David McCullough, Erik Larson, and narrative microhistory, To My Beloved Norwegian Countrymen tells the powerful story of a fearless farmer whose voice helped shape Norway’s path toward democracy.
Nordahl Brue is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and genealogist. He found the practice of law congenial to a life of the mind, one which enabled him to teach at the University of Vermont and Grinnell College and spend a year as visiting professor at Oxford University.
He indulged his entrepreneurial desires by founding Bruegger’s Bagels and other start-up businesses and overseeing their growth. He served on the boards of many organizations, from Green Mountain Power and PKC Corporation to Vermont Public Radio and the Grinnell College Board of Trustees, chairing each in turn. Along the way, he earned a patent for a novel dairy product, founded a chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars, and pursued a serious study of Jungian typology—pursuits that hint at the same restless curiosity that eventually drew him to genealogy. Nord is a Principal of Brue Skok Cellars, making Sonoma wines.
For the past 30 years, Nord has been an avid genealogist, immersing himself in the work of placing ancestors—his own and others—in their proper place and time. He served on the board of American Ancestors and was elected Honorary Trustee.
Nord and his wife, Suzanne, live in Delray Beach, Florida, and enjoy visits from their three children and five grandchildren.
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