The Town: Third Book In Awakening Land Trilogy [Paperback]

Conrad Richter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1991

The Awakening Land trilogy traces the transformation of Ohio from wilderness to farmland to the site of modern industrial civilization, all in the lifetime of one character. The trilogy earned Richter immediate acclaim as a historical novelist. It includes The Trees (1940), The Fields (1946), and The Town (1950) and follows the Luckett family's migration from Pennsylvania to Southeastern Ohio. It starts when settler Sayward Luckett Wheeler becomes mother to her orphaned siblings on the frontier, and ends with the story of her youngest son Chancey, a journalist in the years before the Civil War. The Town won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize and received excellent reviews across the country.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Conrad Richter was born in Pennsylvania. His family on his mother’s side was identified with the early American scene, and from boyhood on he was saturated with tales and the color of Eastern pioneer days. In 1928 he and his family moved to New Mexico, where his heart and mind were soon captured by the Southwest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Ohio University Press by arrangement w/ A.A. Knopf (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821409808
• ISBN-13: 978-0821409800
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful historical fiction with an authentic sound., May 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Town: Third Book In Awakening Land Trilogy (Paperback)

"The Town" is the final chapter in Conrad Richter's "Awakening Land" triology, and it concludes the saga of Sayward Wheeler and her family as they finish turning the Ohio wilderness into a bustling city. The triumphs and tragedies of the Wheeler family are not any different from those of real families in this or any time. That's what makes this story so special: showing how special ordinary people are. Richter's prose strives for the realistic dialects of the region and time, and that gives this book an additional ring of truth. What I've admired about this book is the character of Sayward Luckett Wheeler, who stands heads and shoulders above any other "strong woman" in American literature, especially including Scarlett O'Hara. Sayward is truly the glue that holds her family and community together and she better than any represents the American pioneer as a person of strength, stoicism and compassion. As the frontier is disappearing around her, Sayward also has the good grace and dignity to accept that. She, like her country, is constantly growing and developing. The first book "The Trees," depicted the struggle to eke out a home in the lonely wilderness, while the "The Fields," followed the development of an isolated pioneer community. "The Town" ties the first two books together while chronicling the next step in a city's development. It's a stunningly simple and beautiful story. I'm not sure if it's possible for anyone to write the "great American novel," but if so, then Mr. Richter has done it three times with this series. You'll want to read this over again just for the poetical simplicty of the language Strongly recommended.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Masterful Tale, May 15, 2003

By 

P. Hsu (New London, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Town: Third Book In Awakening Land Trilogy (Paperback)

Stunningly well written, Richter does an amazing job of capturing the early American atmosphere in this third book of his Awakening Land trilogy. While the entire book is told from the third person, one thing I really liked was the way he tells different chapters from the perspective of different characters. The way the characters are built, especially Sayward is truly amazing as we get to see their actions from several different perspectives. Make sure to read the review by "A reader from Yokota air base, Japan."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overzealous publisher, January 14, 2011

By 

Zolasattic (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Town: Third Book In Awakening Land Trilogy (Paperback)

Being intimately familiar with the original publication of this trilogy, I can say with utmost disdain that whoever was responsible for taking the liberties of rewriting what was very nearly perfection must have a great fondness for soap operas and should stick with romance novels instead. Not only are there additional passages inserted that were never written by Conrad Richter, there are also altered meanings of existing passages that totally change the flavor and the original intent. There are so many instances in all three volumes that I don't even know where to begin with examples. This is by far the most appalling reprint of an award-winning piece of historical fiction I have ever witnessed. You would do better to find a used copy from the original publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.