Naomi's Breakthrough Guide: 20 Choices to Transform Your Life

by Naomi Judd

Merlan and Edna Adams and their three children spent the winter in two tents on the Nebraska prairie. They had no running water or electricity; they were miles from the nearest school, store, doctor; they had no neighbors. the year was 1914, and young Treva Adams's parents were trying to comply with the terms of the government's offer: 160 acres, free, to homesteaders who would live there and work the land for three years.

Life on the prairie was hard and lonely, and sometimes dangerous. Treva Adams Strait recalls in vivid detail the first tornado, the building of their sod house, all the slow and difficult steps needed to make a home in the wilderness. But there were happy times, too: Christmases and birthdays, the exciting first day of school, the arrival of a new baby sister. Illustrated with photographs from the Adams family album, "The Price of Free Land" is the saga of twentieth-century pioneers--the story of a warm, loving family's adventure in frontier living.

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1979

About the author

Naomi Judd was an American country music singer, songwriter, and activist.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in my mother's house. It turns out this was her aunt, so my great-aunt. It's a true story about the author's parents who received 160 acres through the homestead act, if they work and live on the land for 3 years. This was in 1914, and they actually had a "race" of families putting down stakes in the 4 corners, and then whoever the government thought did the best job on the land, would get it after 6 months. Only 2 families actually lived on the land, and after a tornado blew down the other families house, my aunts family was able to stay and work it. It was a really hard life, and the author didn't even get to leave the farm for over a year. It was so interesting to read, and an easy read at that. And there were many pictures of the family and the land. They lived in two tents for the entire first year. No one would do that today. Really an enjoyable book. The picture is shown for this book is incorrect. The picture shows Naomi Judd, which is not at all what this book is about.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and definitely learned a lot about places in the early 1900s that still allowed you to claim land from the government. I would have definitely liked it to be a bit longer and them describe a lot more of how they went through this process but for a biography this was still a really good book.

[Sherry Beth Preston]

A charming book, with several laugh-out-loud moments.