Pulling Down the Barn de Anne-Marie Oomen

Pulling Down the Barn

Anne-Marie Oomen

en Limba Engleză Paperback – 28 iul 2004

Pulling Down the Barn eloquently recalls author Anne-Marie Oomen's personal journey as she discovers herself an outsider on her family farm located in western Michigan's Oceana County, in the township of Elbridge-a couple hundred acres in the middle of rural America. Written as a series of heartfelt interlocking narratives, this collection of essays portrays the realities of farm life: haying, picking asparagus and cherries, the machinery of tractors and pickers; but each chapter also touches upon the more ethereal and rarely articulated: the stoic love that permeates a family, the farmer's struggle with identity, and the way land can shape a childhood. With its rich language and style, Pulling Down the Barn engrosses the reader in Oomen's memories-setting beauty and wonder against work and loss-and paints a poignant portrait of growing up in rural Michigan.

Citește tot Restrânge

Descriere

Pulling Down the Barn eloquently recalls author Anne-Marie Oomen's personal journey as she discovers herself an outsider on her family farm located in western Michigan's Oceana County, in the township of Elbridge--a couple hundred acres in the middle of rural America. Written as a series of heartfelt interlocking narratives, this collection of essays portrays the realities of farm life; haying, picking asparagus and cherries, the machinery of tractors and pickers; but each chapter also touches upon the more ethereal and rarely articulated; the stoic love that permeates a family, the farmer's struggle with identity, the unspoken patriarchy of land passed on to sons (often at the expense of daughters), and the way land can shape a childhood. With its rich language and style, Pulling Down the Barn engrosses the reader in Oomen's memories--setting beauty and wonder against work and loss--and paints a poignant portrait of growing up in rural Michigan.

Recenzii

"Pulling Down the Barn is a wonderfully lyrical and evocative memoir. In this honest and powerful coming of age family story, Anne-Marie Oomen utilizes a poet's eye to lovingly depict the beauty of the northern Michigan landscape, while at the same finding a kind of dark splendor in its sometimes harsh and raw climate. A must read for those who love memoirs about setting and place."