An American Homeplace (Virginia Bookshelf) [Paperback]

Donald McCaig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1997 | Series: Virginia Bookshelf

In the tradition of Wendell Berry and John McPhee, Donald McCaig wites with a powerful sense of place, and of history of Virginia's Highland County, in An American Homeplace. On the fast track in the New York advertising world, McCaig gave it all up to move to a ramshackle farm in Virginia's upper Cowpasture River Valley.

Enhanced by the author's evident love for his land and for the stories it has to tell, An American Homeplace is an inviting combination of personal memoir and narrative history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1971 McCaig ( Nop's Trials ) and his wife left New York City for an abandoned farm in sparsely populated southwestern Virginia. Here he offers an engaging account of his tenure there in an atmosphere not far removed from that of a century ago, as he traces the land's history through its previous owners and mourns the passing of the family farm. Affectionately describing his working dogs, farm animals and wildlife, he gives the grim details of putting down more than 100 diseased sheep at one time. He tells about the local volunteer fire department, explains his duties as precinct captain on Election Day (68 voters) and takes us to the county fair, "the best four days in Highland County." Seeking encouragement in farming, McCaig turns to some notable writerly land stewards--Helen Nearing, Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson and Maury Telleen. Readers who enjoy Noel Perrin's works will applaud this book too.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This collection of writings by the author of Nop's Trials ( LJ 4/1/84) is based on McCaig's personal experiences on his Williamsville, Virginia mountain valley farm. McCaig first provides a brief history of the area, from the time it was explored and settled in the 1700s until he and his wife Anne purchased their farm in 1971. The main portion of his book consists of an assortment of short essays or stories, some previously published, about farming, raising sheep, working with sheep dogs, dealing with neighbors, and day-to-day life in a rural community. McCaig concludes with brief sketches of a few contemporary "land stewards": Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, Helen Nearing, and Maury Telleen, all of whom he has met and obviously admires. McCaig is a good storyteller. His concern for rural America and small family farms is present throughout this entertaining, thoughtful, and often philosophical volume. Heartily recommended for all public and academic libraries.
-William H. Wiese, Kansas State Univ. Libs., Manhattan
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press; 1 edition (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813917751
• ISBN-13: 978-0813917757
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #704,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining and Thought Provoking Collection, May 31, 2000

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Fran (Garner, NC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: An American Homeplace (Virginia Bookshelf) (Paperback)

The word "essay" envokes thoughts of the dry historical documents that were required reading in school. That is not what Donald McCaig has written here. This book is an interesting collection of true short stories. The first chapter follows the history of the Virginia farm that McCaig and his wife purchased in 1971 and the beginning of their life there. The subsequent chapters describe the rural lifestyle of the McCaigs and their neighbors. There are stories of pleasure and of pain; stories of the hard labor and the simple rewards of farming. There are stories of humans and of animals. The chapter "The Best Four Days in Highland County", a narrative of a Virginia county fair, is the essence of the book, combining all of the elements that make the book, and the lifestyle, so appealing. Because each chapter can stand on its own, the reader can read or re-read each of them individually, and these are tales that deserve to be re-read and savored.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars magnificent and universal, March 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: An American Homeplace (Virginia Bookshelf) (Paperback)

A primer on the very best of America. Touching and trenchant, McCaig's tales of rural life offer a richer, deeper glimpse of the American spirit than the dross produced by Hollywood. City dwellers everywhere should read this book to refresh the soul.