|
Loading... Hannah Coulter (2004)by Wendell Berry
None. I grew up living close to my grandparents, who have a small farm. I wouldn't call myself a farm girl, because I didn't have that much to do with it, but I did help out sometimes. Coming from that background, I really enjoyed this book. Hannah reflects on her life and how things have changed, not always for the better. She's lived long enough to see her family grow away from the farm they were raised on. She hopes for the best for them, but worries about her farm and who's going to take care of it when she's gone. This seems to be what's happening in rural communities. The people are leaving and not really coming back. Instead, big, expensive gated communities are being built by people who generally have no connection with the land. Hannah's worried about it, and maybe we all should be. (  ) JG_IntrovertedReader | Apr 3, 2013 |  This lovely novel is my first experience with Berry and in it I found an unexpected gem. I was surprised by the quiet wisdom and truth in his writing. Hannah Coulter tells us the story of her life in Kentucky. From her early days with her father and step-mother in a small home, to her courting days, to the pain caused by World War II and the eventual life she settles into. It’s a beautiful look at Midwestern life, both realistic and idealistic if that’s possible. At the beginning of the story Hannah loses her mother when she is only 12-years-old. Her father remarries and her Grand Mam looks out for her. Though much of Hannah’s life is marred by grief she is a strong woman. She accepts both the good and the bad and moves forward. It reminded me a bit of the later books in the Anne of Green Gables series. Through the losses Hannah experiences in her life she paints a beautiful portrait of grief; its overwhelming presence and the continued normalcy of life all at the same time. Grief, especially when it’s caused by a war, is universally shared, but also it’s also shockingly isolating. There’s a section in the book that talks about the “ghosts” that are present at big events like weddings. Even though they may have been dead for years, you can’t help but see the whole event through the eyes of those you’ve lost. They are there in a way, their presence is felt and they’re missed by everyone. It hit home for me because I’d just experienced that at my brother’s wedding in May, missing my own Mom desperately and wishing she could have been there to celebrate with us. BOTTOM LINE: This is such a beautiful book about all the stages of life. This will absolutely not be my last Berry novel, but it was a perfect place to start with his work. “War and rumors of war made a kind of pressure against the future or any talk of plans.” ( ) bookworm12 | Oct 12, 2012 | Mr. Berry has a voice that I love! Wonderful story of real life in the country in the 40's, WWII impact ( ) Jonlyn | Feb 3, 2012 | This was the first Wendell Berry book I ever read and it has changed the course of my life. Berry's way of describing the past and farm life is so idealistic and wonderful that it has made my dream to live on a farm surrounded by my family one day. Though I share nothing in common with his characters, I constantly found myself emotionally connected with them on many levels of love and family ties. Hannah Coulter, though fiction, is real enough to break even the hardest of hearts and wake one up to the realization that technology, a fast pace, and leaving home are not what "heaven on earth" is all about. ( ) NashanMalley | Nov 8, 2011 | Hanna Coulter, of Port William, Kentucky, sorts through her memories. Twice-widowed, alone, and in her late 70's, she recalls childhood, young love and loss, raising children, and the changing of seasons. Hannah offers her steady voice as she contemplates the deterioration of community, with wise and often fiery opinions about the way things were, are, and might have been. SABC | Feb 20, 2011 | no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
|
 Google Books — Loading...
RatingAverage: (4.37)
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia in English
2