Seduced by the government’s offer of 320 acres per homesteader, Americans and Europeans rushed to Montana and the Dakotas to fulfill their own American dream in the first decade of this century. Raban’s stunning evocation of the harrowing, desperate reality behind the homesteader’s dream strips away the myth–while preserving the romance–that has shrouded our understanding of our own heartland.
Bad Land: An American Romance by Jonathan Raban, an Englishman who now lives in Seattle, is an intriguing social history of the homesteading movement in eastern Montana in the early 20th century. Seduced by the government’s Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 granting individuals 320 acres of non-irrigable land, and lured by deceiving colorful …
I loved this book. These women were very brave and adventurous. I can not imagine how difficult it was for women at this time. Loved reading all their stories.
Mediocre
Jonathan Raban is always good.
My parents and grandparents were a part of this history. The stories I heard from them were much the same as those as shared in this book. All in all I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those wanting to know more about early Montana.
It is another tale about people getting into a situation and suffering hardships they could not live through after being misled on the details
Not easy to read, but very informative regarding the settlement for Montana
This is the hard story of drought and disaster told by a man who visited the abandoned homesteads which still litter the prairies of the West. The first rich years followed by drought. bankruptcy and moving on. It’s a must-read book for people trying to understand the past. The banks, the railroad, the government, and the weather all played a role …
My relatives were lived through the Bad Lands and explains a lot about their character!!!
A sad commentary on this country and domineering conglomerates fooling uneducated or naive people into a life harder than what they came from with sky-high expectations. Often at a great distance and now without funds to work or live. Thank goodness my great-grandparents survived and ultimately prospered.
Reinforced what I knew of homesteading and its harshness
A fascinating history of dryland farming in eastern Montana encouraged by the Federal Government during the Great Depression. The trials and tribulations of the homesteaders who endeavored to make new and independent lives for themselves in a harsh and unforgiving land endured lessons in courage, perseverance, and heartbreak. An interesting read …
true . i have lived part of this book
Not great