Final answer:
Mrs. Sommer had a past life closely associated with the sea and travel, was raised in a fishing town on the Arctic ocean, and possessed a keen interest in reading and broader horizons.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the passages provided, it is clear that Mrs. Sommer's past life was one that was intimately connected with sea and travel. We learn that she was born and raised in a small fishing town on the Arctic ocean, indicating a life that was in close proximity with nature and the elemental forces of the sea. Her father being a doctor who was also a widower implies a sense of responsibility and self-reliance from an early age. The presence of her uncle, a skipper on a coasting vessel, suggests that she was accustomed to the ways of the sea and perhaps the life of a traveler, having made many trips along the Norwegian coast. However, it is not just her geographical upbringing that's of note; it is also her intellectual curiosity—she was always reading and thinking about the southern seas, indicating a yearning for exploration and knowledge beyond her immediate environment.