OTTO ARNESON, a Norwegian immigrant, arrived in the United States in the nineteenth century and traveled with his family to Iowa to start a new life. He created a plan so that his descendants would have certain advantages during their future. With attention-grabbing plot construction, Kent Freeland jumps ahead in time and creates a second adventure that takes place in the twenty-first century. The two tales are cleverly woven together in alternating chapters until the final episode reveals a startling result. Foreign Deed integrates an interesting look at life in Iowa in the nineteenth-century, while at the same time presents a glimpse of twenty-first century economic situations. The book should appeal to anyone (adolescents to adults) who enjoys American history and solving mysteries.
