Settlers of the Marsh

Settlers of the Marsh was first published in 1925 to widespread charges of obscenity. It is the story of Niels Lindstedt, a virginal Swedish immigrant and homesteader on the Canadian prairies, who as he works dreams of domestic happiness married to his neighbour’s daughter, Ellen Amundsen. Shattered by Ellen’s refusal of his marriage proposal, Niels is seduced by a local widow, Clara Vogel. The consequences are devastating for all three. Settlers of the Marsh is a philosophical drama set on the land. It deals with themes of marital isolation, betrayal, and tragic breakdown.