That Distant Land

Berry, Wallace. That Distant Land: The Collected Stories. Washington, DC : Shoemaker Hoard 204. Print.

First Sentences:

Mat Feltner was my grandfather on my mother's side. Saying it thus, I force myself to reckon again with the strangeness of that verb was. The man of whom I once was pleased to say, "He is my grandfather," has become the dead man who was my grandfather. He was, and is no more. And this is a part of the great mystery we call time.

Description:

I knew nothing about the poet, essayist, environmental activist, farmer, and novelist Wallace Berry until I read his obituary this summer when he died at age 92. To get a taste of his lauded writing, I decided to explore That Distant Land: The Collected Stories, which offers 23 of his tales of the fictional small town of Port William, Kentucky, and the people who lived there.

 

These are stories Berry wrote over many years to various publications and are assembled for the first time in chronological order of the events of this farming community from the late 1890s through the latter years of the 1900s. One gets to know the feeling of the town and its farming families as they form a community which depends on their families, spouses, and neighbors to survive and enjoy life.

 

There are a few characters who reappear in different stories over the ages, sometimes recounting tales of their childhoods, then popping up in later stories which focus on their major events of marriage and even death. There is a constant theme of bonding between people, of humor as they recount events all have heard many times over the years, of affection for the land, their families, and the hard work they face daily and love.

When Mat was out of the sight of her or his father or Cass of Smoke, he was most likely in the sight of somebody else who would watch him. He would thus be corrected, consciously ignored, snatched out of danger, cursed, teased, hugged, instructed, spanked, or sent home by any grown-up into whose sight he may have strayed. Within that watchfulness he was free.

The stories link as if a reader is sitting around a warm fire surrounded by friends, listening to someone telling a favorite story. Their words are gentle, the stories often humorous, and always poignant, using language that rings authentic to that era and world. Here's a sample of some of the stories:

• An elderly farmer follows his farm's bordering stream to inspect the fences, reminiscing about his life and family;

• A recuperating World War I soldier walks a long road alone to return to his hometown after three years away;

• The meeting of Tol, a giant of a man, and Miss Minnie, a petite schoolteacher, each of whom harbored secret feelings for the other but felt they were not worthy of the other's affection;

• A bet where a man says he could jump into a huge tub of fresh eggs without breaking any;

• A drive to the state fair in a newly-purchased automobile which neither husband nor wife could drive, so enlist the help of a confident 12-year-old to drive the 50-mile route;

• Several men are recruited to dress as pioneers to follow a covered wagon float in the annual parade, but substitute real whiskey to fill the jug they carried, with unexpected results;

• A man draws up his will to give everything to a son no one knew he had;

• A son seeks to remove his father from a hospital where he is on life support.

The characters have wonderful names like Ptolemy Proudfoot, Frances Quail, Jaybe Crow, Grinner Hample, Big Ellis, and Burley Coulter. 

What was the best in him, maybe, was the pleasure he took in pleasurable things. We'll not forget his laughter. He looked at the world and found it good.

These men and women inhabit a world where neighbors are a vital part of their lives, both for help with farming demands and also for comradery. There are many warm exchanges between friends, such as this one between several men who found themselves lost while hunting raccoons on a dark night:

"Well, where you reckon we are?" Mart asked.

"Well, we're right here by this sycamore tree by this creek," Burley Coulter said.

"Well, anybody would have know that."

"Well, you didn't." 

I hope I have conveyed the warmth, the affection, the perseverance, the friendship, and love of the land these people have. Each story brings characters deeply to life, allowing us lucky readers to find ourselves caught up in a rural community of good people who experience trials with farming, family, and inner questions, and continually portray their determination, humor, and affection for their world. 

I also loved the details that are casually dropped in many of the tales to give a more full picture of this world. Many tales feature food, especially fresh-from-the-oven biscuits. My mouth was watering as the people settled down to everyday and special meals, or when they simply stole a pocketful of biscuits from the stove.

The writing is splendid, the stories engrossing, the characters people you want to know more about, and the setting all-encompassing. It is one of my new favorite books that I will re-read many times over the coming years. I know you will enjoy settling into this world and reading tales of its people too. Highest recommendation.

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]

 Haruf, Kent. Plainsong 

Two elderly bachelor farmer brothers take in a pregnant young girl into their isolated farm life to protect her and learn her story. A gentle, spare, wonderful book. (Previously reviewed here.)

 Happy reading.

Fred

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