Edla’s Destiny

Sixteen-year-old Edla Serafia Andersson emigrated from Sweden in 1903 to work as a house maid in America. Based on a true story, Edla’s Destiny is the compelling account of how she survived the harsh realities of the immigration experience and matured as a woman to embrace an unwavering reliance upon God. After a tumultuous voyage across the Atlantic and a protracted examination at Ellis Island, she began working in the manse of a cold-hearted reverend in Scottdale, PA. When he was reassigned to Germany, Edla found employment in Youngstown, OH as an upstairs maid at the estate of steel magnate, Robert Bentley. The setting was an American version of Downton Abbey replete with drama, romance, intrigue, and humor. Edla returned to Sweden in 1914 with two-year-old daughter, Gladys, to visit her parents and ended up in the middle of World War I. The novel’s thrilling conclusion embodies its recurring theme: God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.