The Fields of Home

My least favorite of these books so far, because of the ornery old grandpa. I got tired of his grouchiness awfully quickly, and it really bother me how everyone excused his behavior and let him get away with chasing off farmhands and being set in his ways to the point of ridiculousness. He was a mess of contradictions and untamed habits, insults and pride and love, and I was surprised Ralph stayed as long as he did; it’s a testament to his own character. After Levi explained about why Grandpa was the way he was, I understood better but still didn’t approve, especially of how Levi and Millie (not to mention anyone in his youth, apparently) never challenged his childishness. A cautionary tale of what you might end up as if you can’t show more master your own passions and learn to look at the world and your own experience rationally as well as emotionally. End of rant.

Other than Grandpa, this story is filled with Moody’s trademark grit and determination, finding the good in a difficult situation and seeing his obligations (stated or internally felt) through to the end as best he can. Grandpa obviously plays a large part in this, and the story would perhaps be vastly different if he had been a nicer fellow. Ralph butts heads with him frequently, and it’s humorous that their major point of contention is that they both think their father’s way of doing things is the best.

It all ends up right in the end, Ralph’s hard work and steadiness paying dividends in his relationship with his grandfather as well as on the farm. It ended a bit abruptly, but it was pretty satisfying all the same. show less

Easily my least favorite of the series. Grandfather's an evil, abusive, horrible man. I don't give the proverbial south end of a northbound rat that he shows his softer side by the end, he's still a pure D jerk. Every time he opened his mouth to berate someone, I cringed. Every time he begrudged Ralph or Millie the very food they ate, I got mad.

This book was also much more overtly religious than the others, with the unlikely proselytizer being the evil grandfather. I can't imagine that such a deeply misanthropic git as the grandfather would be welcomed by St. Peter, based on what I know of religion.

I understand the lesson here, about loving those who are not lovable, and suffering long and becoming a better person because of it. show more However, I don't believe this philosophy, and would have run away to Colorado by the end of the first week. Though I did, in fact, suffer through every word of this book.

The narrator, in addition to the over-enunciation I've almost grown used to, mispronounces several words throughout. It sounds inauthentic in the extreme to hear farm people referring to 'vicTWOulls' and 'hay MOs', among other things. show less

The fatherless Moody family moved from Colorado to Medford, Massachusetts, in 1912, when Ralph was entering his teens. "I tried as hard as I could to be a city boy, but I didn't have very good luck", he says at the beginning of "The Fields of Home". "Just little things that would have been all right in Colorado were always getting me in trouble". So he is sent to his grandfather's farm in Maine, where he finds a new set of adventures.

I loved the crotchety character of Ralph's grandfather. Watching Ralph learn to love his grandfather and work with his prejudices and unpleasant behavior was heartwarming. And watching his grandfather change his ways and come to be proud of Ralph was just as nice. Ralph is growing up to be such a nice young man.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Ralph and his Grandfather, June 11, 2000

The whole set of Ralph Moody books rank at the very top of read-aloud books with our children. We have read them all several times. This is my favorite. What a powerful story of the contending of wills between an old man and his grandson. You won't forget this story.

from CLR bookstore