In a kind of harsh intimacy from which there is no relief. Her characters are bound to each other and to their land Then she goes further, examining the spiritual texture as well. Hudson does a superb job of revealing the physical texture of farm life on the prairie - its Whole nation's tragedy during the Great Depression. Through their compelling story looms a sense of a

The landlord his hard-working wife Rachel and their young and vulnerable daughter Lucy. The Bones of Plenty (1984): 'Hudson eloquently portrays George Custer, a determined and angry man who must battle both the land and Rustic eccentrics enmeshed in a web of violent emotions, despair, and scheming. When Flora Poste visits her relatives in Sussex, she encounters a collection of Also other novels of hers.Ĭold Comfort Farm (1932): Comic novel, a successful parody of regional and rural fiction. The Old Ashburn Place (1936): Novel of bucolic Maine life. Trout leaves Manhattan for midwestern Prairie City, an old farmhouse, and 'simplicity.' Humourous. The Quality of Life Report (2003): Burned-out New York TV reporter Lucinda The Country Life (1997): Stella, in Sussex as an au pair toĪ difficult son in an eccentric family, seems to have no aptitude for country life. Getting settled in a home in the country afterĪn apartment takes getting used to for three children. The Dog From Nowhere (1958): Children's book.In which Maine events are chronicled with great wit and affection. Tales of Cedar River (1960) and More Tales of Cedar River (1961): Fictional works She remembers each of her two husbands, and all places and community connections threatened by twentieth-century technologies.'Īs the Earth Turns (1933/1961/1995): Portrayal of Southern Maine rural life in the 1920s.Īngela Fytton's move to the country is actually part of her plan to sabotage her husband's Hannah, the now-elderly narrator, recounts the love she has for the land and for her community. Hannah Coulter (2004): 'Hannah Coulter is Wendell Berry's seventh novel and his first to employ the voice of a woman character in its telling. When he finishes the box of matches, the book is done. Rises early, lights a fire, and writes what comes to mind, generally about the minutiae of life. During one January in rural New England, the 44-year old narrator Emmett

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and comments! Updated as relevant books surface.Ī Box of Matches (2003): Likely set in Maine (author lives in South Berwick). This list includes novels as well as memoirs and other non-fiction titles.įind these titles at your local library or through ABEbooks, AddALL,Īnd other used and out-of-print book dealers.Ĭompiled in November and December 2001 with help from members of the FICTION-L and MELIBS discussion lists In the country or the woods, for those who just want to read about someone else doing it! Books for those who want to live off the land, for those who've always lived

Growing things and other stories