The Fields of Home

Rating:
Summary: An easy book to read. Pleasing and relaxing
Review: I enjoyed this book. Though not a literary classic, it's a great book for a lazy summer afternoon. Written in a very traditional style, you can easily picture the scences being described. The characters are believable, especially if you're familiar with rural life.

Rating:
Summary: More Reality Than One Might Think
Review: Ralph Moody had the knack for "art-for-art's-sake" disguise. One important ingredient of his books that is seldom included in the reviews is the historical reality of the characters. If one was brought up ( as I was ) in Maine, farming with horses - the reality of the narrative is apparent. Reviewers not intimate with this culture and time still use terms such as "believable" in describing this book. The reason for this believability is simple - Moody was writing about real people who actually existed! Tom Gould ( the Grandfather ) was a Civil War Vet - Company I, 16th Maine; he actually did work the farm described in the book; his father, Jacob, actually did clear the farm from the wilderness; Tom actually was born when his father was 72, etc., etc. A boulder in nearby Hillside Cemetery in Lisbon memorializes Jacob, Tom and the farm which is the setting for this book. This is a cultural thumbprint of turn-of-the-century Maine . One might also explore the writings of another of Tom's grandsons ( and Ralph Moody's first cousin ), Maine author, John Gould.

Rating:
Summary: More Reality Than One Might Think
Review: Ralph Moody had the knack for "art-for-art's-sake" disguise. One important ingredient of his books that is seldom included in the reviews is the historical reality of the characters. If one was brought up ( as I was ) in Maine, farming with horses - the reality of the narrative is apparent. Reviewers not intimate with this culture and time still use terms such as "believable" in describing this book. The reason for this believability is simple - Moody was writing about real people who actually existed! Tom Gould ( the Grandfather ) was a Civil War Vet - Company I, 16th Maine; he actually did work the farm described in the book; his father, Jacob, actually did clear the farm from the wilderness; Tom actually was born when his father was 72, etc., etc. A boulder in nearby Hillside Cemetery in Lisbon memorializes Jacob, Tom and the farm which is the setting for this book. This is a cultural thumbprint of turn-of-the-century Maine . One might also explore the writings of another of Tom's grandsons ( and Ralph Moody's first cousin ), Maine author, John Gould.

Rating:
Summary: Ralph and his Grandfather
Review: The whole set of Ralph Moody books rank at the very top of read-aloud books with our children. We have read them all several times. This is my favorite. What a powerful story of the contending of wills between an old man and his grandson. You won't forget this story.

Rating:
Summary: Ralph and his Grandfather
Review: The whole set of Ralph Moody books rank at the very top of read-aloud books with our children. We have read them all several times. This is my favorite. What a powerful story of the contending of wills between an old man and his grandson. You won't forget this story.