Happy the Land is the follow-up volume to the author's excellent memoir of living off-the-grid in Maine, We Took to the Woods. From the very beginning we know that her husband has since died, and that this book is in part a tribute to him. We get to experience more of the small wonders of everyday life in rural Western Maine, recounting stories of her family and their friends (neighbors is a bit of a stretch when you're talking about the Maine backwoods), and we also get to experience some of her widowed life in small-town Maine since it's too dangerous for a single person to live alone in the woods. No matter what happens to her, she never seems to lose her pluck and zest for life.

There's something about Rich's writing style that makes her stories compelling, no matter how trivial the subject. It's like we're all sitting around the campfire and she's telling you all about her life. Absolutely brilliant stuff and anyone who wants to learn how to write well could benefit by reading and imitating some of her style. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys interesting memoirs, Maine, or well-written non-fiction. ( )