FEATURED BOOK

STRIVING for a LIFE of HYGGE shows how a Scandinavian woman who abhors violence and a Marine sergeant with PTSD develop a strong relationship of love and trust that enables them to overcome challenges as they and their adopted child strive to create a hyggelig life.


Hygge is a Danish concept, but it can be helpful anywhere in the world. Basically, it means creating an atmosphere of coziness, togetherness, security, and well-being. For war veterans, living in that kind of atmosphere and finding peace seems an impossibility.


The story primarily takes place in Vietnam, Denmark, the United States, China, and eventually Antarctica between 1968 and 2026.


READERS' COMMENTS.


J.L.B., Retired teacher: “A wonderful story of young love that grew into a forever marriage. It is a story of how this young couple overcame their many differences (different countries, different cultures and different ways of solving problems) to create an unbreakable bond between them. They learned how to work together during difficult times, becoming a great support system for each other and letting them each strive to reach their goals. Each one was made better by the other. It was a very emotional love story and the hard work that they put into their relationship was well worth it.”


S.B., Author and writing instructor: “This is a lovely story about the ups and downs of a long- lasting marriage. You take us from the innocence of their first meeting to… a lot of the stresses and joys that couples go through. You’ve created two compelling characters. Terser is brave, and yet wounded. The effects of the war stay with him over the course of his life, and you do a powerful job of showing how his injuries transform him. His temper, his fear of loud noises. His constant concern to protect Luren.”

“Luren, however, is an even more intriguing character because she changes so much over the course of the novel. She starts off this beautiful, almost unknowable creature. She’s proud to be his sexy import. But over time she turns into a strong-willed, intense, honest, passionate and opinionated woman. When she thinks something is right, nothing at all will stop her. But she’s also been uprooted, and spends much of her life trying to recreate home and light. …Most importantly, you get across a sense of the partnership of their marriage.”

“The details are very good throughout, especially in the … segments in Vietnam. Also, when it comes to houses. One of the intriguing things about reading this is to read about all the different places where they live, But all the other details are good as well, whether about food or setting.”


L.K., Hair stylist.: “The two main characters, Luren and Timothy were very likable, kind, loving people. I empathized with both characters for different reasons. The male character because of his past traumas. For the female character because she and I experienced some of the same things. I really liked reading both characters perspectives on the same issues. I especially like the scene of him reviewing parts of their life together.”


L.L., Author: “It is a captivating story of a young American man struggling between his duty to his country and the woman he loves. Not only is his desperation reliable to anyone who feels the conflict between personal and political ideals, but this man is also coming of age in one of the most turbulent times of American history, the Vietnam War. The themes in this story arise from personal identity, heroism, cultural differences, and the challenge of creating an idealistic lifestyle in the real and often harsh world.”


J.S., Editor: “What a beautiful, … yet emotionally deep story. The sheer detail contained in this story is so immersive and covers so much ground, yet doesn’t lose any of the intimacy of what a story needs.”


J.N.S., Children’s book author: “In this story, Luren, a Scandinavian woman, Terser, an American Marine, and Giai, their adopted child from Vietnam, face the demons of war, the difficulties of migration, and the work to build a loving and trusting family. They journey together as a family to overcome the struggles of life, while holding on to one another through the challenges that they must confront. An intimate view, an honest architecture of life and the endurance of hope to realize all of their full potentials.”


J.T., Artist: “This is a powerful and beautiful story. Its emotional ending brought me to tears.”


L.V., English teacher: “I felt that the opening … was very helpful in establishing each of their perspectives. Both Terser's as an American and a Marine and Luren's as a Dane, but also as a young woman with very clear ideas of what she wanted and didn't want in a partner/husband. As the story continues, I was struck by the interplay of relationships each has with his/her parents and grandmothers, as well as how those relationships echo across their lives and their relationship.

“The interwoven accounts of the Marine sergeant's experiences in Vietnam, Luren's helping him deal with them and their echoes throughout were moving and honest. The recurring themes of anger, creating a safe and inviting home, and the back and forth of building a life in two different countries stand out. A number of career decisions are detailed and for the most part are told through the lens of how the two characters reach those decisions in their minds but also in the context of the relationship.”