See You in a Hundred Years by Logan Ward
Even though I was never a big Laura Ingalls Wilder reader, I've always been fascinated by that pioneer spirit and stories of striking out in the wilderness, so when I read about this experiment by New Yorker Ward, I was intrigued.
Ward and his wife (and their toddler) are increasingly stressed out by their electronically-dominated, rushrush lives in New York, and decide to go back in time to 1900 and live - no running water, no flush toilets, no cars, nothing. They find a plot of land in Shenandoah Valley, and this book chronicles their year of living as though it were 1900.
I really liked reading about the trials and tribulations of the whole family, as well as learning what was 1900-approved, and what they family couldn't use, as well as the bumps and bruises that went along the way. While I know *I* couldn't do it, I came to really admire Ward's "pioneer spirit".
I'd miss plumbing, though.
An interesting non-fiction read!
Even though I was never a big Laura Ingalls Wilder reader, I've always been fascinated by that pioneer spirit and stories of striking out in the wilderness, so when I read about this experiment by New Yorker Ward, I was intrigued.
Ward and his wife (and their toddler) are increasingly stressed out by their electronically-dominated, rushrush lives in New York, and decide to go back in time to 1900 and live - no running water, no flush toilets, no cars, nothing. They find a plot of land in Shenandoah Valley, and this book chronicles their year of living as though it were 1900.
I really liked reading about the trials and tribulations of the whole family, as well as learning what was 1900-approved, and what they family couldn't use, as well as the bumps and bruises that went along the way. While I know *I* couldn't do it, I came to really admire Ward's "pioneer spirit".
I'd miss plumbing, though.
An interesting non-fiction read!
Labels: book review
PBS had a "reality" show on this same theme--several of them. My favorite is "Victorian House" where a family in London tried to live as one would in the late 1800s. I still get the giggles remembering the anguish of the mother as she described what the lack of shampoo would do to a person's self esteem (not to mention hair). She had a cockney accent and kept weeping and saying "I'm not terribly vain, but lookit my 'air! 'orrible! its 'orrible!" I laughed until I cried. And no, I couldn't do it either.
faithful reader Pat
ps you are most welcome
You know, I remember reading about those... Wasn't there a Pioneer house, too?
I know I've seen "Regency House Party", but none of the others...
I'm totally going to put them in my Netflix queue!