I just finished The Unsettlers: In search of the good life in America, by Mark Sundeen. Back to the land, or in search of the simple life, is nothing new. Some of the first colonists came to North America in search of a simpler, good life. The author tells the tales of several modern day people trying to live off the land. The book has three primary families it talks about, the author, his wife and her family in Montana, a young couple homesteading in Missouri, and modern urban farmers in Detroit.
I have to admit from time to time, being drawn to the idea of a self sufficient life, at one time I talked about 10 acres with pigs and chickens and ducks. Kind of far fetched for a guy who hired a lawn service to mow the grass at a house on a 40 by 90 foot lot, because I didn't like the manual labor.
The tales tell of the idealism, insanity and commitment of the various families. Having grown up 60 miles north of Detroit, I especially enjoyed the chapters about urban farming in the city. What a struggle, and what committed people who have made a way to make it work in one of the toughest cities in the country.
The book is a little long, a little rambling and some of the character are a bit tiresome (the couple in Missouri are annoyingly committed to their cause.) For me the chapters about Detroit were the saving grace that kept me reading (I nearly deleted this one with out finishing it.)
What are you reading?
Currently reading The Witches by Stacy Schiff. Well-written, historically accurate telling of the Salem Witch Trials.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently ready a biography of the great chief Red Cloud. These historical bios can be great or they can be dry as toast....this one I may actually complete reading
ReplyDeleteI just finished slogging through a memoir by Billy Ray Cyrus. Talk about dissimilar books! ;-)
A little Lenten meditation book; a history on the papacy (it is good to be pope); Game of Thrones (tedious); Paul Brownsey's short stories.
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