Background
She was born in Kongsberg as a daughter of customs officer Gustavus Blom and his wife Karen Petronelle Stoltenberg.
She was born in Kongsberg as a daughter of customs officer Gustavus Blom and his wife Karen Petronelle Stoltenberg.
According to Norsk biografisk leksikon her name was Susanne Sophie Catharina Gustava and not Susanne Sophie Caroline Gustava, as many believe. Then, back in Lyngdal, she formed a Christian-social women"s association consisting of herself, three farmer"s wives and one farmer"s daughter. With the foundation date 13 November 1840, this is considered the country"s first women"s association.
Her association soon expanded, spreading to Austad and Kvåson
Today she is best known for her literary output. Late in her life, she dictated her memoirs Erindringer fra mitt liv (Reminiscence from my Life), printed in manuscript form for her family in 1882.
In 1899 an edited version was released for a wider audience. The book was one of the first autobiographies written by a woman in Norway.
She suffered from blindness between age 73 and 78, but regained eyesight after an operation.
She was also the paternal grandmother of engineer Nils Vogt Kielland and writer Eugenia Marie Kielland.
Following a missionary lecture in Stavanger, she regretted her "lukewarm" attitude to mission.