The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2004, Qupperneq 43

Vol. 59 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
85
Stephan’s Daughter:
The Story of Rosa Sigiaug Benediktson
By Joanne White
Calgary, AB. : Benson Ranch Inc.
Reviewed by Elva Simundsson
The book, Stephan’s Daughter is a col-
lage of a multiple of mementos, inter-
spersed with narrative by the author. The
author, Joanne White, has made the collage
work. The essays, diary entries, letters and
newspaper articles are each just snapshots
of a moment, but the arrangement, inter-
spersed with pictures and narrative to tie
them together, gives the reader the pleasure
of meeting and getting to know a very
interesting woman. Rosa was the daughter
of the famous Icelandic poet, Stephan G.
Stephansson and in that regard is worthy of
note. What is much more evident from this
book is that she was an interesting and
intelligent woman herself and entitled to
her own recognition.
In many ways, the story of Stephan’s
youngest daughter, Rosa, is the every-
woman story of the post-pioneer genera-
tion that populated western Canada. The
story is so often told of those years, settling
the West, building the succession of
shanties and houses as the family fortune
allowed, tilling the soil, building the com-
munity infrastructure - the school, the
church and all that goes with establishing a
thriving community. As the child of pio-
neers, she grew up with hardships and tri-
als that came with the growing pains of a
western prairie settlement. Less frequently
is a story like Rosa’s told, that of the child
who is born in the new settlement and who
becomes the true spirit of the new life in
the new place. For that reason alone, this is
an interesting story, notwithstanding her
place in a special family in the history of
the Icelandic immigration to North
America.
The book can be described as a tribute
to Rosa’s strong and determined spirit.
Accolades and tributes have been present-
ed, monuments have been erected, books
have been written so that Stephan G.
Stephansson will not be forgotten. It is
very fitting that we have this story told to
us so we can see how the work of Stephan’s
daughter fits into her father’s memorial.
Families usually have an individual who
takes on the role of the keeper of the fami-
ly history. The task of telling the next gen-
eration what happened, how it happened
and keeping the memories alive are so
important in our collective succession of
lives. Rosa assumed that role in her father’s
honour and was that keeper of the story.
The story tells us how Rosa took great
stock in her father. She would sit with him
late at night, just watching him while he
wrote, then listened to him as he recited his
poetry. After his death, she describes how
she used his writings as guidance to give
her advice and comfort when she was look-
ing for solutions to life’s problems. As she
took on the role as family spokesperson,
she gave many speeches, presentations and
poetry recitals on her father’s work. From
her writings we are able to understand a bit
more the physical and social circumstances
that shaped her father’s work.
We are also told of the special role her
mother, Helga played in family dynamics;
how she was a pillar of strength for her