A Land Remembered
Historical fiction in early Florida
First, a confession: I did not finish this book. And yet, it is an immersive, eye-opening, gob-smacking sensory experience. If you've ever wondered what pre-Flagler Florida was like, here's your chance. No highfalutin gilded lilies in sight.
I can’t confirm Patrick Smith's research, but the book gets fantastic reviews, even forty years after publication.
Events in 1968 frame the story, but the plot begins in the 1868 palmetto and swamp of central Florida, a day or so from the St. John's River. It soon moves further south, settling on the Kissimmee where this family of three spends decades trying to survive with little more than their hands. Bandits, bears, fires, and hurricanes frequently destroy years of work in their scrubland wilderness.
Early on, the Confederate Army conscripts Tobais, the father, to drive feral cattle north to the Georgia line. Doing so teaches him the skills to set his family on a path that will consume the rest of the book. He earns the whip to become a true cracker.
Did you know that by the mid-1800s, many tens of thousands of wild cattle roamed the inland prairies and wetlands of Florida?
Since I don't read about books before I dive in, I thought this multi-generational family saga—crackers to tycoons—would be more evenly distributed, but after about a third of the story, I flipped ahead and found the tycoon years are tacked onto the end. I decided I'd had enough of the play-by-play hard scrabble, cattle-driving, land-clearing, and citrus-planting, so I bailed.
But that doesn't mean you would.
Have any of you read this one? Tempted?
Personal Stuff:
I’ll have a Work in Progress update soon. In the studio, I’m still ironing out some technical issues, but happy to be in there when I can. Planted some herbs. That’ll be it for gardening. I have a goal to clear out the last climate control storage unit this year. They jacked up the rate by 30% overnight. I’m done with that nonsense!
Hubs’ backyard hive threw off three swarms this week. None of them chose the prepared swarm catchers for their new homes. Whaaa! After the third, he checked the hive to see if there was a problem. Turned out they were building a brood comb in an odd location, somewhat boxing themselves in. He’s made some adjustments and they’ll have to figure it out from there.
I hope you’re all well. Any new endeavors as the season turns?
Blessings!
Lausanne
Sounds fascinating, though I think I'd enjoy the cattle more than the tycoons :-)
I do have a different take on this! In 2007 when I started teaching 9th grade English on Florida's east coast, the school assigned A Land Remembered as the 9th grade summer read. I really did enjoy it. Maybe it as because we lived close to some of the sites in the book. Maybe it was because I didn't know much about Florida's history back then.
I do remember many of my 9th graders saying they loved it and that it was one of the only books they ever read!