RFD (Paperback)

~ (Author), Gene Logsdon (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This reissue of the 1938 bestseller is an engaging and honest memoir of the first three years the author and his wife spent farming in southern Ohio, close to the city of Chillicothe. Smart (1905-1967), a writer (Sassafras Hill) and teacher, inherited the farm from his aunt and details here both the joys and hardships of rural life. Smart and his wife, Peggy, whom he clearly adored, raised both sheep and cattle and, in addition, cultivated a productive vegetable garden. He provides many descriptions laced with dry humor of the backbreaking labor involved in small farming. Despite the hard work and isolation, Smart found great pleasure in country living and expresses a deep respect for his neighbor farmers. He and his wife sought relief from their daily drudgery by taking an active part in a community theater group. They also found farm life conducive to their sensual natures and indulged themselves in a mutual enjoyment of good homemade food, flowers, art and bathing in the open air during the warm months. A committed socialist during the Great Depression, Smart frequently remarks on the negative effects the profit-driven U.S. economy had on agriculture and farmers. Unfortunately, Smart's attitudes toward African Americans were not as liberal but instead reflect the prejudices of his time: several condescending references to the black men and women who worked for him undercut the book's otherwise generous, bucolic tone.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this 1938 best seller, Smart reveals how he gave up his life as a novelist and teacher to run an inherited farm in the boonies of Ohio. He and his wife raised livestock and crops while trying to remain intellectually active through the community's limited theater offerings. Along with his description of farm life, he contemplates America's material lust and more.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ohio University Press (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082141254X
• ISBN-13: 978-0821412541
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,463,512 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)