Many of the first immigrants settled in the Midwest, including the Minnesota Territory: All of the books have been translated into English, in addition to numerous other languages.

A party of assorted people living in the province of Småland, Sweden, is explored as they decide to emigrate to the United States in 1850.

To celebrate the christening of their youngest child, Harald, Kristina prepares a large bowl of barley porridge and puts it into the basement to cool.

As they prepare to emigrate, the young Nilssons are joined by Kristina's uncle and aunt, Danjel and Inga-Lena Andreasson, and their four children.

His family is joined by Ulrika of Västergöhl, a former prostitute and member of the conventicle who wants to start a new life with her illegitimate teenage daughter, Elin.

Two Swedish movies based on the books, directed by Jan Troell and starring Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullmann as Karl Oskar and Kristina, were released in the 1970s: The American television series The New Land (1974) starred Scott Thomas, Bonnie Bedelia, and Kurt Russell, and was broadcast by ABC.

[citation needed] Another Swedish film adaptation, titled simply The Emigrants (2021), starred Gustaf Skarsgård, Lisa Carlehed and Tove Lo.