Karl Oskar Nilsson

Karl Oskar Nilsson is the main character of "The Last Letter Home". He is a Swedish immigrant from Ljuder parish who is the first settler at Chisago Lake. When the Civil War breaks out, Karl wants to enlist to serve his country, but Kristina objects to him becoming a murderer because she worries about his eternal soul. Luckily for Kristina, Karl's lame leg causes the doctors to reject him for service. Karl argues with Samuel Nojd about whether the land was stolen from the Indians or rightfully belongs to the settlers who bought it as the Sioux, suffering from famine during the harsh winter, sharpen their tomahawks. When Kristina gets sick and the doctor forbids her from getting pregnant again, Karl endures the deprivation out of concern for his wife. Karl receives a letter from his sister, Lydia, in Sweden, informing him that their mother has...