The Swan of Tuonela: A Life in the California Desert

This book is essentially an autobiography of a man of Finnish descent who was born and lived most of his life in the desert of eastern California. The old Finnish folk tale concerning a swan and the musical rendition of that tale by Jean Sibelius play important roles in this work. Here I have rendered as accurately and as plausibly as possible the most memorable adventures of this fictional man. Some of the chapters are based on actual events, whereas others have been invented. Each episode is almost a short story in itself.

The main character and the other people whose stories are followed in this novel were not exceptional in any way, but they and their descendants are among those forming the basic fabric of American society. These people were in charge of their own lives, made their own decisions, and made no excuses. They lived in a rarefied culture, and most were very individualistic. They were no less ambitions and intelligent than those who lived in the great cities, but their lives, of course, were very different, and in some ways more interesting.