"Rural fiction"

[curly_kate]

I have been looking for more rural-type fiction, kind of Laura Ingalls Wilder-esque. I am finishing the last of Rachel Peden's books, and I'd definitely recommend her to anyone with a passion for farming and conservation. She lived near Bloomington, IN, and wrote several books of reflections on rural life in the 40s-60s. It's beautiful, meditative, sometimes funny prose. I've also enjoyed Kent Haruf, who writes about a small town in Colorado. His stuff is a little dark, but still excellent, gripping stories. And I've read all of Wendell Berry's fiction, as well as a lot of his non-fiction.

What authors/books do you guys recommend that fit this niche?

 

[joz]

One of my favorite series is the "Outlander" books, by Diana Gabaldon. It's an epic romance that starts in Scotland, and eventually (3rd book) gets to the US, and (4th - 6th books) explores carving a homestead out of the mountains. The farming/homesteading isn't really a focus, but does (eventually) figure rather heavily into the plot. The pig is hilarious.

The twist is, the lead female character has gone back in time from the 1940's to the 1740's (or thereabouts). So there's rather a lot about the lack of mod cons (antibiotics, anaesthetics, for instance) and how she manages to bodge together or otherwise substitute with what's to hand. There is a lot of herbal remedy, healing-from-the-garden stuff.

Warning: The scene is set over 200 years ago. There are some rape scenes scattered throughout the series. There are amputations. There is a bloody battle (or 12, or 20). There's not a whole lot of women's rights (tho the female characters aren't cowed by this). There's some abuse. There are some gay guys. There's some sex. It's not super-explicit, overall, but it may be uncomfortable in bits.

That said, I love these books, I love the characters, and it's a ton of fun. Despite the cheezy time-travel premise, it works.

Author's Description: http://www.dianagabaldon.com/writing/the-outlander/outlander/
Excerpt: the excerpt link didn't seem to work, but if you poke about on the site you can find them.

 

[Jared77]

The Outlander books are my wife's favorites. She loves those books. She's reread them I don't know how many times but has loaned them out and all her friends end up getting hooked too. Its not my thing but I thought Id give another vote to those considering how much my wife loves them.

 

[hoodat]

I just received a book from a Paperback Swap member called Shuffletown USA by Judy Rozelle. It's a book of memoires about growing up in a small town and the folks there. A delightful book full of great stories. I highly recomend it. BTW, if you are an avid reader PBS is a great site to join. Someone there has almost any book you may look for and not just paperbacks. There are also many hardcovers available. All it costs you is postage when someone requests a book you have listed for swap.

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm definitely going to check out Shuffletown USA. That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.

 

[hoodat]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm definitely going to check out Shuffletown USA. That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.

Another book you may enjoy, (although it only had one small printing so it's hard to find) is Living on Holsun Creek; a Choctaw Journal. It was written by a friend of mine, Neil White, who was half Choctaw so it has a unique slant to it. On first reading you might say the characters and situations have to be tall tales but I knew Neil and I knew most of the characters he talked about and every one of the tales is true, including the one about trying to drive over the top of the trestle bridge at the Gin Hole. Maybe that's the reason they replaced it with a concrete bridge. The book is full of country humor.

 

[so lucky]

When a book's characters or plot lingers with me for years, I think it has done it's job. I am pretty bad at remembering author's names, but there is a book entitled "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" that was such an unusual and touching experience, I highly recomend it to anyone who loves the outdoors, loves dogs, loves family. You will get so involved, you will hurt when it is over.

 

[thistlebloom]

I read that too So Lucky, the author is David Wroblewski.

 

[so lucky]

Don't know why I couldn't remember Wroblewski--such an ordinary name! lol

 

[wsmoak]

Hm... I was going to suggest "The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl" -- but then I saw you said 'fiction'. It's not, but it's still a good read (or, in my case, listen.) I had *no* idea (1) how bad it was or (2) how it happened.

The same author has another called "The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America" about the huge forest fire. Again, I just had no idea...

-Wendy