Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Friday, August 16, 2013

Living Life through a Book ~ Letters of Woman Homesteader, By Elinore Pruitt Stewart


I must be crazy.  I bought this book several years ago, and never read it.  What is wrong with me?  Oh, my goodness, I fell in love the minute I started reading this book. 


I became so absorbed, I felt like I was Elinore, out on her camping trip to no where, enjoying the beauty and peace.  Can you imagine just up and leaving with no destination, a gun to supply food, and living completely from the land as you went?  I can.



Some days I sit on my front porch, and wonder how much more peaceful my days would start and end, if I didn't have the noise pollution of semi-tractor trailers, Jake-breaking right as they pass my house.  Or the high pitched beeping from the stone trucks backing up at the quarry not far from here.  Or the rocket style motorcycles racing by, going 80, 90, 100 mph, making that high pitched, ear piercing scream as they pass by. Sigh....

When I open this book and start reading, I am immediately back in 1909.  I'm riding the rough roads and hitting the bumps with her, I am fishing for trout in the creek, and I am absorbing the beautiful scenes she writes about.  I can see the pokeberry ink in the bible she reads.

I keep my homesteading journal nearby, and jot down notes for myself.  She talks about service berries, and I just had a woman tell me I need to plant some next spring.  I think I will.  I may be able to enjoy them for a few years, until the birds start blurting to the other birds that I have them.  I can imagine myself stocking up jelly on whatever was offered by nature.

The funny part about Elinore, is that she cannot write a short letter.  She has the urge to tell everything, telling a story, in each letter.  I'm somewhat the same way.  I have a hard time keeping blogposts short, e-mails short, and letters short. 

This book is a "keeper" for sure.  If you haven't read it, you really should. 

Info:  Letters of a Woman Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart


11 comments:

EMMA said...

Thanks for the little glimpse of the foreword. I bought the Kindle edition which starts with the letters and no introduction to the why's and what fore of Elinore's life prior to her job with Mr Stewart.
Can you recommend any other books like this? I'm loving it, and rationing myself to one letter per evening so as not to finish it too quickly. But as you say, she can't write short letters, so it's not too bad.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Emma,
I am "rationing" the book too. That's too funny. If I run into any other good books like this, I'll be sure to post.

Cris said...

Yay! I am so glad you like it. Sometime, you should listen to the audiobook version. The woman who narrates give such a lively voice to our Elinor!

Unknown said...

I haven't started the free eBook yet, but it sounds good. I have Service Berries, nice flavor BUT they are tiny and you'd have to plant a lot o them to be able to do much. Mine is about 5 years old, very healthy but we only get about 1 cup of berries (at the most) each year. They shrivel up really fast too if you don't harvest them right away. You might consider choke cherries, etc? A lot more berries...

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks for the tip. Choke cherries sound good.

Michelle said...

Will look and see if I can get it on my Nook.Sounds like something I would love.

Winnie said...

This does sound like a good book. I am intrigued with the letter format for getting ideas out.

Beansieleigh said...

Sounds like a good one!.. Will keep this in mind! Have a great weekend! ~tina

Unknown said...

Thank you for mentioning this book. My library had it on CD so I was able to listen to it on my commute. Thoroughly enjoyed it. JoAnne

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

You are welcome!

Unknown said...

I'm so glad that you arer eading this book. Elinore's homestead is just about an hour from where I live. It was so fun to read about the settling of this area and the life that she led. One amazingly strong woman!