Back to the Land: The Enduring Dream of Self-Sufficiency in Modern America

Back to the Land: The Enduring Dream of Self- Sufficiency in Modern America By Dona Brown (2011)

There is an abundance of written material documenting "back to the land" movements in America dating as early as the late 19th century. Brown has drawn upon these books, essays, poems, articles, and letters to lay out the historical context, which has been divided into two sections: "The First American Back-to-the-Land Movement," peaking during the years just before World War I, and the second section, "Returning to Back to the Land," which continues to present day.

Significant attention is given to educating the reader on the definition of the early "back to the land" movements and how those defining experiences of individuals and families compare to those returning back to the land since WWI. Brown spells out the many personal motivations people had for experimenting with "back to the land," including movement toward a "simple life" or "back...