Brenda, My Darling: The Love Letters of Fridtjof Nansen to Brenda Ueland

Brenda Ueland, author of “the best book on writing ever written,” (Carl Sandburg on If You Want to Write), and patron saint of all aspiring writers, was the recipient of more than 30 love letters from the Norwegian explorer, humanitarian and winner of the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize Fridtjof Nansen. The two met in
New York City in 1929. They had a brief love affair and a year long correspondence until his death. Brenda, My Darling presents Nansen’s letters to Ueland, (hers to him are lost) and a sampling of Ueland’s published work and unpublished diaries. Nansen’s love letters are some of the most passionate, candid and eloquent in the English language.

From the Foreword, by Nansen biographer Per Egil Hegge:
“These love letters from Fridtjof Nansen to Brenda Ueland make for compelling reading. Nansen’s fiery confessions of his great love for Ueland would have been considered semi-pornographic only a half century ago. The Norwegian saying “when the old house catches fire, it burns with great heat,” fully applies. But, because the letters are so earnest, so intense and so beautifully written, it is more appropriate to classify them as literature - a true love song...”