A really good book ............

enjoy the ride

Sufficient Life
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I can't believe I didn't read this previously but I am now down to the dregs of my sister's books I inhertited from her estate. In them was The Good Earth by Pearl Buck.
It has the best and, seems to me, the most realistic discription of survival in an awful situation.
A Chinese family has been elevating themselves up the social ladder by hard work. Then along come a widespread drought in their farming community. They have been frugal and have some supplies saved but the drought lasts more than a year. They plan right away on reducing their consumption so as not to attract attention by being well fed when others are starving. They then go through their stores and finally their oxen is butchered.
The neighbors are convinced that they have hidden stores at this time, which they no longer have, and a gang of them tear apart the house looking for food. But the head of the household had taken whatever money he had accumulated to buy more land and nothing was available for them to steal.
Anyway- the continous adaption of the family to survive and prosper again is very informative. How they rely on each other and use opportunities.
Too many times people in survival forums keep expressing how they would do well by Hollywood Rambo scenarios- total fictions that would hardly be likely to succeed.
But this book has the feel of being based on reality.
And it's fun to read.
 

punkin

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I read that, probably in 8th grade (about 30 years ago).

Maybe I should read it again.
 

Sunny

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Ive never read that book. But I think it might be on my to read list. I have so many books right now that need read.
 

FarmerChick

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That is wild cause I saw the movie about 3 weeks ago on AMC.

Great movie too and I bet the book is fab. Never read it.

(The drought and faminine they suffer is unbelievable!!)
 

big brown horse

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Love that book! It is one of the ones I read once a year. That along with To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Prayer for Owen Meany.
 

Beekissed

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The Good Earth is one of my favorite books! You know, I drove past her birth place twice this year! :D

I've read her other books but didn't like them near as well as this one.

BBH, have you read Our Winter of Discontent by Steinbeck? It's a great read also, along with To Kill A Mockingbird, The Yearling and other such great books.

Seems like a good book, a real classic, never loses relevance.

Please read:

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Least One by Borden Deal
The Other Room by Borden Deal (Sequel to The Least One)
Prairie and Sacajawea by Anne Lee Waldo

These are all books you won't forget...ever! :)
 

enjoy the ride

Sufficient Life
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I just read the Island of the Blue Dolphins and found it confusing. At the very end, I read that it was inspired by a true story but as a child's book, didn't you find it rather brutal and death ridden?
 

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