We Belong to the Land: Memories of a Midwesterner

by Beulah Meier Pelton

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813811430
• ISBN13: 9780813811437
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Iowa State Press
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Very good read - entertaining but also realistic

I really enjoyed this book! It is a quick read, but extremely well written and definitely worthwhile. The author begins by describing her ancestors, who came to Iowa as pioneers during the 19th century. The majority of the book, however, describes her childhood and married life living on various farms in Iowa. And, although she never cites exact dates, her personal tale seems to begin in the Depression and end somewhere the 1950s. She makes no attempt to glamorize life on the farm, and recollects several incidents that made her wish for an easier life in town, e.g., lack of indoor plumbing (using "the Necessary", i.e., outhouse), central heating, adequate housing, money, etc. However, the hardships she describes do not detract from making this book extremely enjoyable. She tells her story in such a way that make even the bad times seem tolerable and surprisingly less depressing than they surely were for her and her family. In the end, she ultimately teaches you how a person belongs to the land. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in agricultural, Iowa, and/or Midwestern history.