Mysterious Builder of Seattle Landmarks Proves Immigrants Invaluable

    SEATTLE, WA, January 18, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The current debate over immigration is deeply rooted in the fabric of Seattle's creation as shown in the new memoir THE MYSTERIOUS BUILDER OF SEATTLE LANDMARKS: Searching for My Father by Paula Pederson Palmer. After decades of believing her mother's tale that Danish immigrant Hans Pederson left them penniless, Paula uncovers the truth about her father's incredible contributions to the Pacific Northwest that Larry Kreisman of Historic Seattle, credits as filling an important gap in architectural history.

The historical memoir dispels the author's fear that she was a bastard child, but reveals her birth as the result of a scandalous liaison between terminally ill, recently widowed, Hans Pederson and his nurse 42 years younger. Paula's mother was that young Ukrainian nurse from Canada who inherited Pederson's estate when he died the year after they wed. Paula was one month old. The outraged family sued, resulting in a record-breaking 20-year lawsuit.

"This scandal surprised me, but I take heart that my father immigrated with nearly nothing and ended up providing housing and employment for the wave of Scandinavian immigrants pouring in during the depression," says Pederson.

Pederson began her search in 2008 after struggling with depression due to her disjointed childhood. "My mother's secrecy was fueled by shame," she says. "Now, I better understand her desperation born from fear of poverty during the Great Depression."

Several Seattle institutions assisted with the difficult task of uncovering the bread-crumb path to discover Hans Pederson's legacy. "MOHAI librarian Carolyn Marr was particularly helpful," says Pederson, "and I'm especially grateful to Fred Poyner of the Nordic Heritage Museum, Larry Kreisman of Historic Seattle and Susan Haris, Univ. of Washington Dept. of Scandinavian Studies Advisory Board member."

MYSTERIOUS BUILDER OF SEATTLE LANDMARKS is available in Print and eBook through Amazon, Kindle, Ingram Spark/Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Kobo and where books are sold.

Author Notes: Paula started her life journey in Seattle, but has lived in Singapore, Shanghai, Honolulu, New York, New Jersey, Maine and North Carolina. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in English Literature. She formerly enjoyed technical writing and editing posts pertaining to medical, environmental, and engineering issues.

Website: https://www.paulapederson.com/press-room/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/MysteriousBuilder/posts/
To book author interview or appearance contact:
Wendy Wiley, VIE Publishing
[email protected]

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