The Town: Third Book In Awakening Land Trilogy (Paperback)

~ (Author) "SAYWARD awoke this day with the feeling that something had happened to her..." (more)
Key Phrases: ferry house, little feller, Little Turtle, Moonshine Church, Judge Wheeler (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

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: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,293 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 52 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

"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.

6 of 8 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)

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."

5.0 out of 5 stars The Town, May 15, 2009

By	Bette Hubbard "~bette" (Chandler, Ok United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

The last in the trilogy. I loved this series. What a gifted writer.