A Land Remembered, Volume 2

By Patrick D. Smith

A Land Remembered has become Florida's favorite novel. Now this Student Edition in two volumes makes this rich, rugged story of the American pioneer spirit more accessible to young readers. Patrick Smith tells of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family battling the hardships of the frontier. The story opens in 1858, when Tobias and Emma MacIvey arrive in the Florida wilderness with their son, Zech, to start a new life, and ends in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes that his wealth has not been worth the cost to the land. Between is a sweeping story rich in Florida history with a cast of memorable characters who battle wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes to carve a kingdom out of the Florida swamp.

In Volume 2, with the birth of Zech and Glenda's son, Solomon, a new generation of MacIveys learns to ride horses, drive cattle, and teach rustlers a thing or two. Sol and his family earn more and more gold doubloons from cattle sales, as well as dollars from their orange groves. They invest it in buying land, once free to all, now owned and fenced and increasingly populated, until it becomes just a land remembered.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Pineapple Press
• Release date: Oct 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781561645831

Reviews for A Land Remembered, Volume 2

[readhanded · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Land Remembered is considered a pretty seminal work among Florida literature, but honestly, I like some of the less serious, more formulaic cracker westerns better. Part of my problem with A Land Remembered is how it shows the devolution of a Florida cracker family through the generations. The patriarch, Tobias, is honest and hardworking. He readily helps his fellow man and ignores racial stereotypes. His son and grandson, however, are not quite so morally upright. Tobias's son, Zech, decides that it's okay to have a white wife and a Native American mistress because the two worlds are so different. Not only does Zech not see this to be problematic, I got the idea that the author thinks it was okay, too. Zech's son, Sol, is even worse - greedy and power hungry. I know that showing this devolution is intentional, but it does not sit right with me. I really enjoy the picture of early 1900s Florida life depicted in this book, but I'm certain it is not entirely accurate. A lot of romanticizing going on for sure. Read it if you enjoy Florida literature.

[adribabe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! This is a romantic novel of old Florida and the survival story of settlers in a harsh yet beautiful landscape. Has love, adventure, and self reflection. The first generation of McIveys were much easier for me to relate to than the second generation. ** Spoiler Alert** The story however is written from a man's romantic ideal in that the protagonists' son ends up having essentially two wives. Leaving one to herself knowing he'll never leave his "white" wife who knows nothing of this arrangement. He ends up getting what he deserves when both essentially die before he does. ** Spoiler ends** Even though it is a "man's" romantic novel I thoroughly enjoyed reading something different. I recommend this book highly.

[downtownlibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful read, especially if you live in Florida! Fascinating portrait of the lives and hard times of the early cattlemen and the land they wandered. There were times I laughed and certainly times I cried.

[bugs5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book that chronicles the life of a family settling Florida in 1800's. Very realistic.

[francesuzanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was fascinating. Lots of details of what it was like when the white men settled Florida from the 1860s to 1950. Three generations of a family work hard and make millions of dollars off cattle and oranges. Makes me want to go find Puenta Rassa.