A Land Remembered

I loved the story, the characters, the background, the descriptions, the history Everything. The people in this book really seemed REAL to me, like it was an autobiography. I really believe this book is how Florida evolved, written in a family's story style. If you live in Florida, this is a must read. And, for everyone else too. Very enjoyable.

Compelling fictional story & characters but historically and geographically accurate. Tremendously written, I couldnt put it down. Wheras we've all seen "tear-jerker" movies, there are parts of this book that will bring out this emotion

I listened to the audio read by George Guidall about 20 years ago and loved it. I bought the actual books to re-read the story.

I give this book as a gift. My favorite book of all time.

My son requested this book and he was so excited when it quickly arrived. We were pleased. Thanks

I teach 4th grade in a public Florida elementary school. We read this book in the spring as a class. The students are enthralled by it. Since we have already studied this time period in Social Studies, they can easily make connections because the book includes actual events from Florida's history. I personally found the first book to be much more intersting than the second. Although both were good, the second covers a longer time period and thus must do so with less detail.

It's easy to see why almost every reviewer gave this book 5 stars. The story follows the MacIvey family from 1863 through three generations to the present. As they scratch out a hardscrabble living, the reader follows their experiences during the Civil War, and through Florida's pioneer days. Immerse yourself in their struggle to build a home, drive cattle to market, start orchards, deal with rustlers, wild animals, life and death in Central Florida. You learn so much about Florida's early landscape and the damage done by settlement, as well as the effect on the Native Americans. Some of the homespun life reminds me of Rawling's classic, The Yearling. I highly recommend it, not just for Floridians, but for everyone to know more about their country's development in this unique region. The story is compelling.

Even though this book is fiction, you will wish it were true, so that you could meet the decendents of this family. Having researched Florida history it runs so close that it could be storys passed down through the generations. It follows a family through three generations, how they scatched a poor earning in Florida's diverse landscape from swamps to scrub lands, and palmetto flatwoods. It is proof there were cowboys in Florida long before cattle grazed in Texas, and how the pioneering families survived long before Disney's grandfather was even born. This book is well written and I would recommend it for teens and adults alike.Read it, you will soon be reading Mr. Smiths other books!