Living a Country Year

Jerry Apps’s farm stories open the barn door to understanding rural life as it once was—and, in many ways, still is. “Even with the all the hard work, we had more time (perhaps we took more time) to enjoy what was all around us: nights filled with starlight, days with clear blue skies and puffy clouds. Wonderful smells everywhere—fresh mown hay, wildflowers, and apple blossoms. Interesting sounds—the rumble of distant thunder, an owl calling in the woods, a flock of Canada geese winging over in the fall.”

Wearing his hard-earned wisdom lightly, Apps tells a tale for each month of the year in the heart of the country, and adds aphorisms and the occasional recipe for good measure. We skate with him on a frozen pond on a moonlit night. We watch him drive the hired mans Model T touring car at the age of 10 and recover from polio by driving a tractor during disking season.

Whether shooting off firecrackers on the Fourth of July or suffering through "potato vacation" or overcoming stage fright at the annual Christmas program, Apps is a delightful companion, teaching us a gentle lesson as he learns. By turns witty and profound, his book reaffirms our nation's rural heritage.