mleffert22's review against another edition
The thoughts not sticking. Story not flows. My husband could move book mark to different page and I probably not realize.
kingkong's review against another edition
3.0
I liked all the stuff about the paintings and brochures
emmkayt's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Some beautiful, thoughtful writing. Some of it was also slow as molasses, and I thought some connections the author made seemed tenuous, if elegant, but I learned a lot and am glad I read it. In the early 20th century, railroad companies and the US government teamed up to settle the area of eastern Montana then known on maps as the Great American Desert with homesteaders. They touted the benefits of a new agricultural trend called 'dry farming.' That the latter was a mug's game was not immediately apparent, since the railways began importing hopeful homesteaders during a brief series of years with higher than usual rainfall. Over time, however, the region dried out again, and emptied itself of most of the homesteaders. Evocative descriptions of the landscape, interesting history.
cateresa's review against another edition
5.0
Eastern Montana and its pioneers and how they developed one another.
factandfables's review against another edition
5.0
This was really well written, and a fascinating look at the way that a particular culture and lifestyle developed! I learned a lot, and appreciated Raban's wide-eyed enthusiasm to no end.
I probably enjoyed it more because I was reading it in a cabin with no power in the back-country....
I probably enjoyed it more because I was reading it in a cabin with no power in the back-country....
margardenlady's review
4.0
This love letter about the western prairie (viz Montana) is spectacularly well crafted. The words evoke images of the wide open places known as Montana and North Dakota. If you have ever loved that land, you may be interested in reading this story of its settlement. This author pulls together reminiscences from various settlers and the journals of one family in particular, in addition to lengthy trips to understand the land. If you've ever spent time in the central plains, you will know that it is unlike any other place on earth. I'm not sure how this ended up on my bedside, but it was well worth the time to read.
melodyh's review
4.0
Bad Land is a romance of the American Plains, the "flyover states", a term the author doesn't use in the book to my recollection. His respect for the men and women who settled this American desert, this brainstorm of the railroad corporations, this barely farmable, desolate plains stretching as far as the eye can see to the impossibly distant horizons.
Raban observes the fierce individualism of these settler farmers, their fierce drive to survive and their desperate attempts to thrive in the face of rainless summers and sub zero winters. They were immigrants from the east coast and northern Europe, drawn by the prospect of free land from the government (what could possibly go wrong?) and the opportunity to own their lives completely, beholden to no one.
The sights along the highways now throughout the west--tumbledown barns, abandoned homes-- as well as the growth of Spokane, Seattle, and Portland let us know how well the scheme worked out for a lot of settlers.
Raban observes the fierce individualism of these settler farmers, their fierce drive to survive and their desperate attempts to thrive in the face of rainless summers and sub zero winters. They were immigrants from the east coast and northern Europe, drawn by the prospect of free land from the government (what could possibly go wrong?) and the opportunity to own their lives completely, beholden to no one.
The sights along the highways now throughout the west--tumbledown barns, abandoned homes-- as well as the growth of Spokane, Seattle, and Portland let us know how well the scheme worked out for a lot of settlers.
kathleenitpdx's review
4.0
Fascinating and well written. The book follows closely a group of families that settled in the same area near Ismay, MT. Those that managed to stay and those that picked up and headed west. It is now clear that most of the area is much too dry to farm and is livestock land. He talks to their kids and grandkids, reads their writings and uses a book of interviews of people from the area that was put together in 1972.
My sister gave this book to me. She picked this book up because our mom was born in 1920 in Glasgow, MT. Different railroad (the book follows the Milwaukie Road, Glasgow is on the Great Northern), same scene. Our grandfather had arrived before the homestead act and worked for the railroad. He worked for the land office and proved up on a claim. Our grandmother came west from New York state to teach at the high school. Her mom had let her come because her older brother was already established in Glasgow as an attorney. Mom said that after a drought, a flood and a year when everyone grew a bumper crop of feed corn and the bottom dropped out of the market, grandpa pulled up stakes and headed east to St. Paul in about 1925. Mom also said that her oldest sister was getting ready to go to high school and grandpa had said that he wanted something better for his daughters than to be farm or ranch wives. He sold his land to a family that raised sheep.
If you like this book I would also recommend Miles from Nowhere and Nothing To Do But Stay in my list.
My sister gave this book to me. She picked this book up because our mom was born in 1920 in Glasgow, MT. Different railroad (the book follows the Milwaukie Road, Glasgow is on the Great Northern), same scene. Our grandfather had arrived before the homestead act and worked for the railroad. He worked for the land office and proved up on a claim. Our grandmother came west from New York state to teach at the high school. Her mom had let her come because her older brother was already established in Glasgow as an attorney. Mom said that after a drought, a flood and a year when everyone grew a bumper crop of feed corn and the bottom dropped out of the market, grandpa pulled up stakes and headed east to St. Paul in about 1925. Mom also said that her oldest sister was getting ready to go to high school and grandpa had said that he wanted something better for his daughters than to be farm or ranch wives. He sold his land to a family that raised sheep.
If you like this book I would also recommend Miles from Nowhere and Nothing To Do But Stay in my list.
helena's review
3.0
Didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would but very grateful to have discovered Evelyn Cameron and her photography through this book!
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