An American Homeplace

Lovely, folksey book about the ups and downs of the rural life. Some of these were written as articles, some delivered on public radio, but all show episodes of McCaig's life on a small farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Much like the rhythm of country life, he dances between tasks, telling us of......more

I don't know what to make of this book. My mom's cousin's husband (also my PCP, because the world is a small place) loaned it to me -- along with two others -- at Christmastime and I feel bad for not making progress on the books. This seemed like it would be an entertaining memoir about a couple of......more

This book was a disappointment after Donald McCaig’s border collie books. It’s about living in the country on a farm — both the author’s experience of it (in a sparsely populated part of Virginia) and rural life in general. I am not a fan of rural living and even less of a fan of anyone who romantic......more

I really enjoyed this book! It's the kind of thing I like. I got hooked because he spends some early pages talking about the geology of his farm and neighborhood. So if you don't like that kind of thing, just keep reading. Most chapters are short, some only 2 pages, others are much longer. He writes......more

Mostly short essays about the changing rural landscape and the death of small farms, not only in Highland County but in the US. I would have liked a map and am fearful of what has happened in the 20 years since this was written... but maybe it's actually getting better. I know there are youngish peo......more