Growth of the Soil · Character

Barbro

Brede Olsen's headstrong daughter, a child of the wilds who has tasted town life and now works her way through the settlement's households.

supporting

Also known as Brede, little Barbro, Brede's girl Barbro, Fröken Barbro Bredesen

First appearance: I

As a supporting figure in Growth of the Soil, Barbro is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Flirts with Eleseus at Axel's farm, plays guitar, and shows off her town manners.

In the storyXVIIIOpen this moment free

See Barbro in XVIII Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Barbro is Brede's girl, confirmed and restless, carrying the memory of a great town and a steamer voyage that grows more distant the longer she stays upcountry. She is involved with Axel Ström, and her presence in his house and on the farm stirs gossip, jealousy, and trouble that neither of them fully controls. She matters because her divided loyalties — to her feckless father, to Axel, to the vanished world below — make her the unsettled, modern counterpoint to Inger's rooted strength.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Barbro sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Barbro in I

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Barbro sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Central community figures
Minor passersby and relatives
Peripheral workers and family

+9 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the communi…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Eleseus
romantic · negative
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus,… How this plays out →
Heyerdahl
romantic · ambivalent
Isak
social · ambivalent
Oline
psychological · negative
Isak
social · ambivalent
Eleseus
romantic · negative
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus,… How this plays out →
Oline
psychological · negative
Isak
social · ambivalent
Oline
psychological · negative
Heyerdahl
romantic · ambivalent
Eleseus
romantic · negative
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus,… How this plays out →
Heyerdahl
romantic · ambivalent

Eleseus
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension.
Heyerdahl
A brief, flirtatious affair with the engineer Heyerdahl, reflecting Barbro's restless and opportunistic nature.
Isak
Distant acquaintances; Barbro briefly works near Isak's farm but has little direct interaction with him.
Oline
Oline uses Barbro's secrets and scandals as fodder for gossip, manipulating the community's perception of her.
Isak
Distant acquaintances; Barbro briefly works near Isak's farm but has little direct interaction with him.
Eleseus
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension.
Oline
Oline uses Barbro's secrets and scandals as fodder for gossip, manipulating the community's perception of her.
Isak
Distant acquaintances; Barbro briefly works near Isak's farm but has little direct interaction with him.
Oline
Oline uses Barbro's secrets and scandals as fodder for gossip, manipulating the community's perception of her.
Heyerdahl
A brief, flirtatious affair with the engineer Heyerdahl, reflecting Barbro's restless and opportunistic nature.
Eleseus
Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension.
Heyerdahl
A brief, flirtatious affair with the engineer Heyerdahl, reflecting Barbro's restless and opportunistic nature.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Barbro in I

In the story

Barbro appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XVIII
Flirts with Eleseus at Axel's farm, plays guitar, and shows off her town manners.
I
Heavy and sharp-tongued, she speaks bitterly about Axel and the auction, and later invites Eleseus and Sivert for coffee, wearing a gold ring.
Chapter II
Barbro is evasive about the child's death, shows little remorse, and is increasingly dissatisfied with farm life, longing for Bergen and town life.
Chapter VII: The Trial
The accused; she speaks favorably of Axel and takes the blame for the child's death.
Chapter VIII
Barbro is acquitted in court and avoids Axel, having disposed of the rings he gave her.
Barbro's Return to Maaneland
Returns to Maaneland after leaving service at the Lensmand's, seeking to resume her relationship with Axel.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Barbro unlock in the free preview.

See Barbro in I

See Barbro in XVIII