Lady of No Man's Land
Would her sister still be alive if they'd stayed in Sweden? Had Kirsten, trying to better their lives, taken Lucia's? It was an unbearable thought.  --  Kristen wanted to give up, throw herself on the grave, but she was too young and strong to die so easily. Wild with grief, pervaded with guilt, she realized that she was truly alone in the world, a stranger in an unknown land. But in that extremity, determination steeled her, the will that had brought her to America, the dream she cherished even more now since it was all she had. She would walk back to the town, sleep in the bed she shared with Lucia, work next day and the days after that. She was alive and she had to live.

The only survival Lucia, Grandfather Nils, or their parents could have now on this earth would be through her. She would sink roots in this land, send them deep to nourishment, deep to withstand the scouring winds.