Back from the Land : How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back

Rating:
Summary: A Real Wet Blanket for Wanna Be Homesteaders!
Review: Back From the Land was kind of disappointing to read, especially for someone who's life dream is to be able to homestead! I understand exactly how hard it is going to be, having been born and raised in rural Appalachia and having relatives that are still alive that lived exactly like this up until recently. I had just hoped that there would be some sort of, I don't know, silver lining that would let people see that there is a rose on the thorn bush. Overall, though, it is a first hand look at someone who was doin' (think Mother Earth News) and unfourtunately didn't like the lifestyle. I would recommend that if someone bought this book to see exactly what it was like to homestead, don't put all your eggs in this basket. Check out some other books that show the pros also to living intentionally, like Helen and Scott Nearing's Good Life books (even though they are described as virtual "sell outs" in some writtings)and some of the "Reports from Them That's Doin" in the older issues of MEN.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but left me wanting more
Review: I enjoyed reading Back from the Land : How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back. It is a quick read, mainly stories of the experiences of the author and her friends who were lured to live "the simple life" "off the grid" in the country. Many references are made to how easy Mother Earth magazine made it seem to drop out; a simile might be drawn that says Mother Earth magazine is to back to the landers as Lansford Hastings' The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California was to the Donner Party-both documents were oversimplified and omitted many important details to the sorrow of those that used them as a guide. The book is frequently laugh out loud funny when describing the attempts of city folk to adapt to country life. I especially liked the chapters that outlined how the "back to the landers" dealt with their unexpected poverty. I only wish that experience had given more of them impetus to fight poverty for all rather than just escape it themselves. I wanted the author would have included stories from a broader range of people, and to give communes a separate section in the book rather than combining those experiences with the stories of families who lived independently in the country. Another topic that isn't adequately dealt with is feminism (or lack thereof) amongst the people who chose this lifestyle. The author makes several references to having to do all the traditionally feminine tasks without help from her husband and being bitter about that. Why didn't she ask for help? Was it easier to fall into sex role stereotypes in this situation? I wanted to know more about this topic. The book also wraps up too quickly and doesn't explore why people left the land and how they assimilated back into society in the depth that I wished for. Still, a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: back from the land and happy about it
Review: I was one of the people who lived this type of life in the mountains...and although it certainly did give me a strength in character and greater empathy for others, I left it behind too. It was hard even if you had running water and electricity. Still, the experience does lodge in the memory and you are never really happy in the city or suburbs once you have lived on a large piece of quiet land. I highly recommend this book to anyone with that rural dream, or readers interested in women's history or that time in our country.

Rating:
Summary: Details visionaries and their movements
Review: Many young Americans went back to nature in the 1970s - and just as many returned to build lives in the mainstream society they had rejected. Back from the Land : How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back details these visionaries and their movements, using the experiences of a woman who lived her subject and interviewed others in the process. From the early days living in a technological-free zone to returning to a mainstream community to forge new relationships and work, Back from the Land : How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back provides an excellent survey.