Published in 1975, The Land Remembers is a memoir by Ben Logan that describes growing up on Seldom Seen Farm, located in southwestern Wisconsin’s hill country, in what is called the state’s “driftless area.” Set in the 1920s and 1930s, it describes a way of life that is guaranteed to make today’s readers nostalgic for something they never experienced.
The hard work demanded of all members of a family living off the land is never downplayed, but Logan makes the experience seem idyllic nonetheless. What escalates this memoir to classic status is the author’s descriptive prose. His memories are vivid and poetic. Growing up with his father, mother, three brothers and a hired hand, the focus makes each member of the family an essential part of his unfolding story.
Divided into four sections, each corresponding to the seasons, the book captures the rhythm of life on the farm throughout the year. It’s a delightful read from first page to last. Logan returned to the farm in the second half of his life, and before his death in 2014, he ensured its continued existence by placing it into a land trust. When he died at age ninety-four, he’d proved that rural life had much to offer in extending one’s longevity. For those interested in such memoirs, The Land Remembers is guaranteed to enchant even if such a life story seems almost mythical in retrospect.
Robert Up At Dawn 