tales-of-Fogo-Island

Year's Eve, some of the men became drunk. Aksel was frightened they wouldharm him, so he ran away again. This time, he went to St. John's where heslept outside since he had no place to go. One night, he slept in a puncheonand spent another night in jail. Finally, after several cold and hungry nights, hegot a ride on a Portuguese vessel. Two years after his adventure began,Aksel Neilson finally arrived back home in Denmark.Several years later, Mr. Walter Ludlow received a letter. It was from a mannamed Aksel Sandemose. Aksel had changed his name from 'Neilson' to'Sandemose'. He had become a writer and found that 'Neilson' was toocommon in his home country. In the letter, he thanked Mr. Ludlow for all of hishelp and told him more about his incredible journey.In the summer of 1938, Aksel Sandemose returned to Fogo Island and stayedwith the Ludlow family for two months at their home in Joe Batt's Arm. Duringhis visit, the two men retraced the path that Aksel had taken nearly twenty-twoyears before. While staying at the Ludlow home, Aksel also showed his loveof writing. Often, when Mr. Ludlow arose to go fishing, he would find Akselhuddled by a kerosene lamp, scribbling away in Danish.In the following years, Aksel Sandemose became a famous writer. He wroteseveral outstanding books and won many awards. He was even nominated forthe Nobel Prize for Literature. His first book was dedicated to the man whohad saved his life. Later, Sandemose named his first son after Mr. WalterWilliam Ludlow.Photograph of Walter William LudlowIn December 1965, a full page article about Sandemose's life appeared in aDanish newspaper. Included in that article was the above photograph ofSandemose's rescuer.