Mary's husband, Aron, has just committed suicide, and the ghosts from his past are quickly rushing in to haunt her. To confront them, she goes on a fearless journey of self-discovery, where she reviews the thirty-plus years during which her life was transformed from a carefree existence into a complicated puzzle.
Searching for all the pieces, Mary recalls the ways her American upbringing was challenged when she married Aron and moved to his family's Odel farm in Norway. She had to navigate conflicting beliefs and traditions in order to enjoy life with her mate, and had to survive his family's secretiveness, manipulation, and ruthless attempts at maintaining control over their son and their land.
As she reflects upon her struggles, Mary questions how well she knew the man she married and remembers all the clues she dismissed years ago, all the times she ignored the intuitive warnings that told her something was wrong. And she remembers how, when challenged, she often called upon the spirits for help.
An emotional ride through life, suicide, delusion, and hope, The House of Odel is a riveting account of a love tragically pocked by betrayal, deception, and greed-and it is based on real life events.
About the Author: Marcia D. Kuss, a clinical specialist in psychiatric nursing, was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married and moved to Norway in 1978. The mother of two children, Jahn and Teresa, she holds degrees in liberal arts, nursing, psychiatric nursing, family therapy, and education.
Kuss's debut book, The House of Odel: A Norwegian-American Novel of Love, Betrayal, Beliefs and Tradition, tells the incredibly moving story of an American-born girl who encounters cultural clashes and family conflicts when she marries a Norwegian man and moves to his Odel farm in Norway. A reflective piece in which a widow looks back at her life and discovers untold secrets after her husband's death, The House of Odel was inspired by a true story that has been carefully crafted into fiction.
