Non-fiction

Hell on Horses and Women by Alice Marriott—about the early days of ranching on the plains of Eastern New Mexico.

Homesteading on Grasshopper Flats by Etta Rose Knox—first person account of an early homesteader’s wife in New Mexico and the trials she went through with her ne’r-do-well husband.

Piano Lessons by Noah Adams—the narrative of a man who decided to learn to play the piano at age 50.

Legacy: The Story of Talula Gilbert Bottoms and Her Quilts by Nancilu B. Burdick—an account of how the author’s grandmother chose to structure her home life around making quilts in the days when that kind of structuring was unheard of. 

In the Middle by Nanci Atwell—a wonderful book to use when teaching reading and writing at the Jr. Hi level.  All kinds of neat avenues for kids to take.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand—a flawlessly written book about the horse that took away the nation’s heart during the 1930s.

Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass by Gary Paulsen—a reflection on the way life used to be back when we relied on farms and hired hands to sustain family and America. 

We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich—the story of a young couple opting to move to the New England woods.

Novels

Come and Go, Molly Snow by Mary Ann Taylor-Hall—a fine novel about love and loss with some really fine passages about playing bluegrass music.

Celestial Navigation by Anne Tyler—a novel about the eccentricities of an artist who makes ‘pieces’ while his wife runs a rooming house full of more eccentrics.

Confessions of Madame Psyche by Dorothy Bryant—novel based on true story of a woman medium who was eventually institutionalized, and loved the seclusion it offered.

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz—an eerie story of dark family secrets.

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison—a fine depiction of a girl’s abusive childhood in the deep South.

A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey—a novel of a woman over a period of time that is written in all letters to various people. 

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse—this is a Young Adult novel written as a long prose poem about a girl growing up in less than ideal circumstances.

Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson—the story of a dynasty in the settling of Southern California.

Border Music by Robert James Waller—his other book, The Bridges of Madison County, certainly overshadowed this other novel of loss and wandering with a country western twang.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell—based on the true narrative of a young girl left behind on an uninhabited island off the coast of California.  The copy I have is signed by the author when he did a book signing at my school when I was in 7^th grade. If anyone did, he was the one who inspired me to be a writer.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White—the classic story of farm animals coming up with a solution to save their leader.  This was the first ‘big’ book I read; I was 9.

Memoirs etc

The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott-Maxwell—a collection of thoughts and writings by an older woman that takes your breath away.

Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng—story of a woman’s treatment, including solitary confinement, during the cultural revolution in China.

A Very Small Farm by William Paul Winchester—a narrative of one man’s adventure in buying 20 acres and making a farm in Arkansas.

Changing by Liv Ullmann—a narrative from the well-known actress that talks about love, loneliness, work and self.

The Liars Club by Mary Karr—a woman reflects passionately and humorously back on her dark American childhood.

A Life of Her Own by Emilie Carles—a story of a woman who did anything she could to carve out a life and raise her children in remote country villages of France.

The Orchard by Adele Crockett Robertson—the story of a woman going back to revive the family’s New England apple orchard during the Depression. 

My Small Country Living by Jeanine McMullen—a heartwarming account of living with ‘too’ many animals on a farm in England.

A Garlic Testament by Stanley Crawford—a tender account of growing garlic crops in Northern New Mexico.

Mayordomo by Stanley Crawford—an insider’s look at caring for the ditch, the waterways of Northern New Mexico that centuries ago brought civilization to the area and is still the source of life here.

Running to the Mountain by Jon Katz—if you skip over the heavily quoted passages of Thomas Merton this is a great book about buying a piece of land and part of a dream.

Rain or Shine by Cyra McFadden—a woman’s account of growing up on the rodeo circuit while her mother participated as a bareback rider and her father was the announcer.

Beachcombing by Richard Bode—a man’s story of choosing solitude to think things through.