The Fields of Home

by Ralph Moody

Book Overview

"A lively story . . . warm with humor; bright with incident and personality."--San Francisco Chronicle

The fatherless Moody family moved from Colorado to Medford, Massachusetts, in 1912, when Ralph was entering his teens. "I tried as hard as I could to be a city boy, but I didn't have very good luck," he says at the beginning of The Fields of Home. "Just little things that would have been all right in Colorado...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803281943
• ISBN13: 9780803281943
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 335 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

History

The history of work ethic, patience, and obedience. I really like this book as well as the others by R. Moody. My husband doesn't want me and the kids to read it without him. Who wants to watch movies when there is so much more in great books by great authors? Worth every dollar!

Great Book Great Author

I recommend this series as a great alternative for boys who just don't like the idea of the Little House series. It is a well written series that really keeps the young and old alike interested in the way life was 100yrs ago.

Best of the Set (so far)

Having read the first several volumes of Ralph Moody's works, I didn't think they could get any "better" than they already were. "Fields of Home" is better though, although perhaps I feel that way because it struck a chord with me in where I live, in the cold northernmost part of New York State. The descriptions of the farming and other activities resonated with stories of my grandparents, my parents and my childhood experiences. The characters seem to be people I know. Awesome book in a great series of books that are appropriate for all ages (my parents love them too).

More Reality Than One Might Think

Ralph Moody had the knack for "art-for-art's-sake" disguise. One important ingredient of his books that is seldom included in the reviews is the historical reality of the characters. If one was brought up ( as I was ) in Maine, farming with horses - the reality of the narrative is apparent. Reviewers not intimate with this culture and time still use terms such as "believable" in describing this book. The reason for this believability is simple - Moody was writing about real people who actually existed! Tom Gould ( the Grandfather ) was a Civil War Vet - Company I, 16th Maine; he actually did work the farm described in the book; his father, Jacob, actually did clear the farm from the wilderness; Tom actually was born when his father was 72, etc., etc. A boulder in nearby Hillside Cemetery in Lisbon memorializes Jacob, Tom and the farm which is the setting for this book. This is a cultural thumbprint of turn-of-the-century Maine . One might also explore the writings of another of Tom's grandsons ( and Ralph Moody's first cousin ), Maine author, John Gould.

Ralph and his Grandfather

The whole set of Ralph Moody books rank at the very top of read-aloud books with our children. We have read them all several times. This is my favorite. What a powerful story of the contending of wills between an old man and his grandson. You won't forget this story.

This book is well written and interesting to read!

The Fields of Home tells about Ralph's experience on his grandfather's farm after being sent away from the city. His grandfather, a cranky and miserable person, is delighted to get the extra help, and soon Ralph is worn to the bone. As the book progresses, Ralph realizes that tucked inside his grandfather is a spark of kindness, which grows bigger through the book. Ralph soon becomes good friends with his grandfather, and helps him clear a field that was becoming overgrown. This was his grandfather's desire. He was hating to see his precious farm reclaimed by the wilderness. Ralph and his grandfather are soon the best of friends, and they both understand the need to compromise. Ralph's grandfather gives in to some of Ralph's ideas, and Ralph is willing to be taught how to do some things the "old way." I am 13, but my father, who is almost 50, still enjoys reading these wonderful books. I highly reccomend the others in the series. This book touches your heart!