Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
Reviewed by Vicki CarverThose of us who are “city slickers” living in a rural area such as Highland County most likely do not understand what it is really like to farm and have a strong connection to the rolling hills which surround us.
Wendell Berry is an author of over forty works of fiction but he is also a farmer in Henry County, Kentucky. With more than 30 years of farming experience, Berry is well qualified to write about a family of farmers living in the fictional community called Port William.
Berry’s newest novel is Hannah Coulter and traces a farm woman’s life from her birth in 1922 to the beginning of the millenium. Hannah is born into a family whose survival depends upon farming. Hannah’s mother dies and leaves her upbringing to a loving grandmother who enables Hannah to become a strong young woman.
Hannah Coulter describes the hardships endured by farmers during the Depression and World War II. Hannah’s first husband Virgil is killed in the war leaving her with a daughter, Margaret. Eventually Hannah marries a veteran, Nathan, who has made it home safely and they have two sons.
Hard work and persistence are necessary components of success in farming. Nathan and Hannah buy a rundown farm and work tirelessly to make it a success.
Times change. Hannah’s children grow up and leave the farm to pursue their own dreams. She and Nathan are eventually left alone to keep the farm going. Hannah believes the effects of World War II and the increasing use of technology in farming have changed the outlook for the success of the family farm.
Wendell Berry writes in the “first person” so Hannah is telling her story to the reader. Hannah Coulter tells a life story but also describes farm life in general. It is interesting reading for someone who doesn’t know much about farm life and would like to know more. Also, a reader who would like to reminisce about the “good old days” would enjoy reading Hannah Coulter.