Back from the Land: How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back

his book was a most interesting read, and everything I expected. Sometimes you can read the inside flap and get all excited, but it ends up being slightly different, however, this book was not that way for me. The details of setting up and preparing for the move along with the raising kids out in the middle of nowhere was very intriquing. Eleanor, the writer, still alluded to the romantic part of simple living, yet crushed those dreams in a very pleasant and understanding way. You had no doubt this was not the romantic ideals people have of simple living. "The bare wood floor was freezing. When the dog had an accident on the floor, it froze. I had to use a pick ax to dislodge it.... The sheer excitement of living like pioneers kept my blood pumping against the cold." Of course it wasn't always fun and games...... "Yes, the novelty of chopping wood, hauling water, and using kerosene lights had worn thin. The sheer physical discomfort alone was enough to change most of our minds, not to mention the complicated nature of things, which could slowly drive a person mad." The 70's, in many ways were out done /commercialized by the 60's, but then that decade had their own 'radicals' as well. Dawn C. http://www.frugalforlife.com

This is a great personal history of the "back to the land" movement of the 70s and what happened to the folks who went there. I only wish there were a History Channel video version so I could show it to my younger friends who don't ever seem to have time to read. Some are, unfortunately, considering a similar path with many of the same unrealistic expectations. They call it "sustainability" these days but to far too many that buzzword is nothing more than the same old simplicity-lust that rears its longing head every every now and then in complex cultures. There is surely some path to a less hectic, more meaningful, more holistic life to be had than the conventional materialistic overachiever society we are (once again) ensconced in but my tongue-in-cheek advice to young friends, largely ignored, has been: "The 'simple life' isn't all that simple, the 'natural life' doesn't occur naturally, and the only real way to get 'back to the land' is through a six foot hole in the earth." The author illustrates through stories about the lives of those who were there just how difficult it was to jump back into a more self-sufficient country life, especially as we had children who needed more social interfaces. Or as we just realized that getting sick, injured, and just plain older and feebler away from the protective elements of mainstream culture wasn't as great as it seemed when we were young, invincible, and blind with our own ideals. Maybe a few young people will actually read this book before taking a similar plunge and be better off for it. Forewarned is forearmed after all. I'd like to hope the new generation will find itself more prepared to create a better life by paying attention to what has gone before and what failed and succeeded.

As oil and natural gas decline, many of us will have to go back to the land. There is something to learn from those who have tried this in the past. Although much has been said about why communes and Utopian communities failed, little has been written about the fate of individual homesteaders. Part 1 is a book review of Agnew's very insightful history of this movement, and Part 2 is why I believe we need to go back to the land again and how to do it right this time given the problems and failures of homesteading in the `70s. Part 1. Review of Agnew's "Back From the Land" Eleanor Agnew, in her 2004 book, "Back from the Land. How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970s, and Why They Came Back", discusses the millions of young adults who tried homesteading. Agnew speaks from experience -- she went back to the land with her husband and two boys in Troy, Maine. Agnew estimates between 750,000 and one million people dwelled on communes then. Millions more went back to the land independently. On the whole the movement consisted of educated, young, white, middle class men and women. Their rejection of the current system wouldn't have been possible if the overall economy hadn't been so wealthy. It was a luxury to be able to experiment. There were many reasons people went back to the land. The value system of American society was repulsive to many. They abhorred the rat race, boring jobs, crowds, the corrupt establishment; consumerism, destruction of wilderness, and advertising to get people to buy things they didn't need. Some also felt the need to "redeem their souls" because they'd done nothing to deserve the abundance they'd experienced. America has a long tradition of associating virtue with moderation, hard work, self-denial, and simple living. Many associated farming with the romantic notion of self-sufficient pioneers. The oil crisis in 1973 led some to believe that the capitalist system was in imminent danger of collapse, so going back to the land would be a matter of survival. Homesteaders wanted to invent a new and better civilization based on community, healthy food, a love of nature, and avoidance of toxic chemicals. Many, if not most, were unrealistic about what it would take to make the urban to country transition. Raising animals meant no days off, and the joy of raising them was shattered when they were slaughtered. Farming was hard. Some bought land that was mostly rocks, which made building homes and starting gardens very hard. Good topsoil was washed away in storms. Then there were assaults by flies and no-see-ums, blistered hands, and aching muscles while tending crops, which in the end might be lost to drought, frost, hail, and pests. The surviving crops required hard work to harvest and prepare for storage. In the winter, scraping ice off floors and walls, chopping wood, frozen pipes, broken cars, icy paths and roads, and uncovered wood piles frozen into a block of ice added to the discomfort and h

Back in the 70's, I never dropped out of society and lived on the land, but I have friends that did .. and while they have some "conveniences" these days, to some degree they still lead the simple life. I am very much into voluntary simplicity but I never felt it should be so extreme. This was an awesome read that brought back many wonderful memories. At times, I was confused as to whether the author was talking first person or if she was quoting an interviewee, but despite that, the author did a great job of illustrating why folks dropped out and then what influences led them to come back to mainstream. Some of this I was exposed to ... some of this I lived ... but all of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed and I think you will, too.

One of the better books by former Hippies about the 60's and 70's. Well written and insightful. If you are really interested in the back to the land phenomenon and what it was really like this is highly recommended. If you want a light, "and then we all got stoned" sort of retrospective this will be too analytical but still interesting.