A Land Remembered: Student Guide Edition Vol 1

by Patrick D. Smith

A Land Remembered has become Florida's favorite novel. Now this Student Edition in two volumes makes this rich, rugged story of the American pioneer spirit more accessible to young readers. Patrick Smith tells of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family battling the hardships of the frontier. The story opens in 1858, when Tobias and Emma MacIvey arrive in the Florida wilderness with their son, Zech, to start a new life, and ends in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes that his wealth has not been worth the cost to the land. Between is a sweeping story rich in Florida history with a cast of memorable characters who battle wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes to carve a kingdom out of the Florida swamp.

In this volume, meet young Zech MacIvey, who learns to ride like the wind through the Florida scrub on Ishmael, his marshtackie horse, his dogs, Nip and Tuck, at this side. His parents, Tobias and Emma, scratch a living from the land, gathering wild cows from the swamp and herding them across the state to market. Zech learns the ways of the land from the Seminoles, with whom his life becomes entwined as he grows into manhood.


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Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, School, Historical, Young Adult, Classics, Chapter Books

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2012

About the author

Patrick Smith is a 1999 inductee into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the highest and most prestigious cultural honor that can be bestowed upon an individual by the State of Florida.
In May 2002 Smith was the recipient of the Florida Historical Society’s Fay Schweim Award as the “Greatest Living Floridian.” The one-time-only award was established to honor the one individual who has contributed the most to Florida in recent history. Smith was cited for the impact his novels have made on Floridians, both natives and newcomers to the state, and for the worldwide acclaim he has received.

Smith has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize, in 1973 for Forever Island, which was a 1974 selection of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Book Club and has been published in 46 countries; in 1978 for Angel City, which was produced as a “Movie of the Week” for the CBS television network and has aired worldwide; and in 1984 for A Land Remembered, which was an Editors’ Choice selection of the New York Times Book Review. In the 2001 The Best of Florida statewide poll taken by Florida Monthly magazine, A Land Remembered was ranked #1 Best Florida Book. The novel also ranked #1 in all the polls since then. Smith’s lifetime work was nominated for the 1985 Nobel Prize for Literature, and since then he has received five additional nominations.

In 2008 he was honored with a Literary Heritage Award at the 1st Annual Heritage Book Festival in St Augustine. FLorida's Secretary of State Kurt Browning presented the award.

In 1995 Patrick Smith was elected by The Southern Academy of Letters, Arts and Science for its highest literary award, The Order of the South. Previous recipients include Eudora Welty, James Dickey, and Reynolds Price. In 1996 he was named a Florida Ambassador of the Arts, an honor given each year by the state of Florida to someone who has made significant contributions to Florida's cultural growth. In 1999 Smith was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, which is the highest and most prestigious cultural honor the state bestows upon an individual artist. Prior inductees include writers Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ernest Hemingway.

In October 1990 he received the University of Mississippi’s Distinguished Alumni Award and was inducted into the University’s Alumni Hall of Fame. In 1997, the Florida Historical Society created a new annual award, the Patrick D. Smith Florida Literature Award, in his honor.

Thousands of people of all ages have enjoyed his books and his talks. With his new DVD, A Sense of Place, you can spend an intimate hour with this soft-spoken author and gain an insight into the creative processes that resulted in his beloved books.

Patrick lives in Merritt Island, Florida with his wife Iris and his beloved cats.

Reviews

[Michele Rearden · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children and I LOVE this book. I have read it out loud to them three time over the past 7 years. Every time, we laugh louder and cry more. This book, set during the pioneer days of Florida have helped to give us a glimpse at life in the Sunshine state before Disney, before Air Conditioning, and before the beaches were over run with hotels and tourists. The characters are endearing, the story keep us entertained, and we learn a lot about our history. This is one of our favorite books.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the story "A Land Remembered", the setting begins back in 1858, where the state of Florida is undeveloped land. The family, the MacIveys, moved down to Southern Florida to start a new life. While living there, the family dealt with many challenges ranging from foul weather to wild animals and rustlers. After being fed up with the conditions, the family decided to move west and start over with their lives. Tobias MacIvey, (the father) gets information with some Native American Indians, saying that he should get cattle and herds, to get paid for them. After Tobias had followed the Indians advice, things started to look better for the MacIveys. They were able to buy the things they wanted/ needed, and this made their lives a whole lot easier.

I really liked this book because it made me imagine what it would be like to live in that time. The book talked about three generations of the MacIvey family, and how things had drastically changed in that time. My favorite part of this book was when Tobias and Zech were hunting with their dogs and found Skilit in the woods. The calmness and the tone of the book made me want to read this novel for fun.

I would suggest this book to people of all ages, because of the history and realness the book represents. It is very language friendly and it has a peaceful tone to it. For instance, there is a scene in the book where Tobias allowed some lost Native American Indians into their home so they could eat a supper. I think more people should read this book, because it is really well done. It is a great read, and people should read this more often.

[grllopez ~ with freedom and books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story followed the migration of the young MacIvey family (Tobias, Emma, and their adolescent son, Zech) from the war-torn state of Georgia, 1863, into the untamed wild lands of La Florida. For the next seventeen years, the family traveled all over the state, battling the wildlife, climate, and natural habitation to stay alive and make a living. They had nothing to start with, but with ingenuity, ambition, and determination, they worked to build a successful lifestyle capturing wild cattle, herding them across the land, getting them nice and fat, and then selling them for a profit.

The work was strenuous and exhausting, and oftentimes they were met with disappointment, defeat, and tragedy. In fact, some tragedies turned graphic. (In the adult edition, they were probably extremely graphic.) They faced wild animals, swarms of insects, hurricanes, humidity, floods, freezing temperatures, rustlers, illness, and more.

Some scenarios were hard to wrap my head around, like swarms of mosquitoes choking cattle and humans to death. (I mean, I once was bit 35 times in the course of a few hours by a mosquito while I was supposed to be asleep; but I have never had thousands of mosquitos in my mouth, nose, and throat. I do hope that's a thing of the past.)

There were also successes. Tobias was doing so well for himself and was able to find extra willing men to work for him. He made so much money that he stored the coins in sacks and forgot about them. His son, Zech, decided to use the money to purchase the land they were sitting on, which happened to be twenty thousand acres at twenty cents an acre. By then, Zech was an able-bodied young man, and he found himself an educated young lady and married her.

That was a happy ending, but it is only part one. Part two continues the life of Zech and his wife and their family, which I will have to catch up with later, when I hopefully read the adult version.

[Madden Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book, especially because not only is it mostly funny, kid-appropriate, and entertaining in many different ways, it is also informational! I love Zec, Emma, Tobious, Frog, Bonzo, Skillet, Nip, Tuck, and of course Ishmeal!

[Brittany McCrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me laugh and cry!

[Robin Chubner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully descriptive of what Florida must have been like when it was all wild and unsettled. The strength of the characters and what they went through to stay alive shows a strength that is hard to imagine.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting historical fiction about the state of Florida, way back when.

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting for us Florida residents. Amazing changes in a century's time. Easy to read

[Wyatt Collins]

In the book, A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, A poor family is living in the rural parts of Florida, trying to make a living by farming during the civil war. Soon the patriarch of the family, Tobias is sent away to obsequiously help the war effort for the Confederates to repress the Union, but when he came back, his home was destroyed, and his belongings were stolen. He and his apprehensive family decide to move further south and try cattle driving. Their goal was to make it to Punta Rassa to sell the cows for money, and they met friends along the way to help them. The group made it to Punta Rassa and sold the cows for lots of money, then the family continues doing more and bigger drives.
Things are usually not as bad as you think they will be. The apprehensive family thought it would be risky to grapple the journey to get their cows to Punta Rassa “In here, there is only death”, but they made it with most of their cows intact “We moved slow coming here and let ‘em eat all they wanted. They ought to go over five hundred pounds each.”
Never Give up, When Tobias and Zech tried the crucible and got lost trying to find the Seminoles, they turned back and looked for a new way, even though they thought it was hopeless “There were times I didn’t think we’d make it.”, and Tobias was debased with malaria. “In his weakened condition, he allowed himself to be overruled.”
Commercial Plan
Ethos Pathos Logos
The person offering the book is a Floridian farmer, which is what the book is about. Describes how the family in the book beats all odds just to live another day. The actor wanted to book about Floridian old time life, which is what the book is about.


Review
A Land Remembered is an historical fiction story in Florida during the civil war, which the author really makes you feel like you are there. The characters possess traits that any normal farmer is the late 1800’s would need, like Tobias knows how to move around the land and to hunt, and Emma knows how to cook. The author uses words that really describe what is going on and can make things look really good, or really bad. The scene that moved me was when the family made it to Punta Rassa, and they could finally sell their cows and stop barely scraping by and refine their lives. I thought that the book was thrilling from the beginning, it makes you feel like you are with the MacIveys on their exciting journey. The author has a B.A. degree and a master’s degree in English from the university of Mississippi and was a recipient of the Florida Historical society’s fay Schweim award. This novel could affect my ability to create a commercial because it is about a family barely scraping by to survive and grappling onto the last bit of hope they have, which could be pathos. In the commercial, acting like a Floridian farmer could be ethos because that is what the book is about. The casual person in the commercial would want a book about Florida’s history, which is what the book is about, which would be Logos.
While reading the novel, I learned about how rough Florida’s terrain was and how the people living there had what it takes to survive. This story made me a better reader because it had an interesting topic and gave me a good visual of what was happening, and I could easily write about it without having to look back into the book to remember what happened. The book made it easy to think about what happened because it was a well detailed story but worded clearly enough to understand it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this & Vol. 2 when organizing some of my boys childhood books. They had been given to us by dear friends when we lived in JAX. My friend read these books to her son's 4th grade class when studying FL history in 2006. I don't know how we never read them as the boys loved all things adventure & this certainly fit the bill! Written for students, there are some missing adult details, but I loved the books as an adult & certainly picked up a lot of FL history along the way. Couldn't write a better synopsis than what has already been written so will include for my own purposes... This is the story of three generations of MacIveys, a Florida family who battle frontier hardships to rise from a dirt-poor Cracker life to the wealth and standing of real estate tycoons. Tobias MacIvey arrives in the Florida wilderness in 1858 eking a new life with his wife Emma & infant son Zech. The saga ends in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes the land has been exploited far beyond human need (of which he took part in). The rugged Florida history features crusty Crackers, Skillit, Frog, & Bonzo, & Seminole Indians including Towanda. Battling wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes the family carves a cattle ranching & orange grove kingdom out of the swamp. The most formidable adversary of the MacIvey family becomes greed by the third generation when Sol reaps the benefits of his father & grandfather's lifetimes of hard work. There is love, tenderness, hope & passion in each new generation, friendships with persecuted blacks & Indians, & respect for the land and its wildlife.

[H.R.H. Carpathia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. We never read it in school, so my first take on is as an adult. I read the juvenile version, and a reckon things are more deeply explored in the regular version. That being said, this book does not shy away from how the world was at the time. Tobias, Emma, and co. are all likable characters and I thought the additions to their little family all had their own personalities that were well written. Skillet and Frog for example don't just exist. I think this was a part of the book I enjoyed most. I adored all of the animals, but one should know that this book has a lot of bloodshed. If this is heavier in the original version I will be surprised because there are several graphic scenes of death, by gun and mosquito. Yes, mosquito. If you are a stranger to nature at its most brutal then you may want to skip this book. Several of the characters experiences discrimination as well, and people do die. Since I enjoyed Tobias' arch the most, I don't know if I will continue to read the next installment which will likely deal with his passing. Emma is also my favorite along with the horses.

Side note. The book uses outdated terms such as Indian to describe Seminole and Timucuan people, and when we first meet Skillet he is called the 'black man' constantly instead of just 'the man'.

[Mari Bianco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everyone likes different books, but, in my opinion, A LAND REMEMBERED is pretty tedious reading. Reading it in the classroom in connection with a unit on old-Florida would work well, but the characters are too simple and plain for a required summer reading book. After the fire the protagonists (whose names I forget because they’re forgettable characters) are like, "Oh shucks, our house burned down. Oh well, let's just accept it and move on." 🤨 If my house burned down, I'd be sharing my deepest, darkest sadness and fears about it. It's just not relatable to kids today. The characters are too flat. I appreciate the simplicity of it, but to hold a kid's summer attention there needs to be more action or adventure AND emotion!

[Nicole Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Since I knew virtually nothing about the history of Florida, it was fascinating from the get-go! I have ordered Volume II since the only version our library system has is the Teen version. This book starts out with the MacIvey family moving down from Georgia as the Civil War begins. They just find a safe location and begin to eke out a really hardscrabble existence. By the end of Volume 1, they have made it to become landowners, cattlemen, and orange growers. A fascinating look at "frontier" Florida.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one with a student in our tutoring sessions. She would rate it 1 star and she never has a bad word to say about anything. So I was curious and asked her what made her think that. She had two reasons: 1) They ate too much raccoon stew and that is disgusting. 2) They always have too many hard times. So while I thought it did a great job describing pioneer life in Florida, she needed something with a little less adversity in it and no raccoon stew!

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Land Remembered” is a really good read about a pioneer family in Florida and how they struggle, survive, and eventually build a legacy. It’s part adventure, part family drama, and it makes you feel like you’re right there in the old Florida wilderness. The story is easy to follow but still powerful, and it shows both the beauty and the cost of progress. I’d definitely recommend it.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Volume 1 in one evening. I couldn't put it down. I have been wanting to read A Land Remembered for years. I loved it and am looking forward to finding Volume 2. I am a big fan of Patrick D. Smith. He has transported me to a Florida that is sadly missing in this day and age.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wholesome good read about wild Florida and the making of America. One families journey from tents to high rises. t’s a great reminder that all progress is not good progress when it comes to development.

[Herr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people don't know that Florida's history is based on cattle, and that the term Florida Cracker refers to herding cows as opposed to slavery. This is a great book, perhaps the only book, that covers early pioneer life in Florida from the perspective of cattle herding.

[William Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for young middle school age Floridians.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family loved the first and second volumes of the student edition.

[Cameron W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a fun and interesting read. I liked the fact that this book was about Florida so it was easy for me to picture the scenery and Florida wilderness.

[Mari Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading one of my all time favorites with an eye to teaching it!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of children/teen historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book as a glimpse into Florida's past.

[Skyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in fourth grade. Great book!

[Brenda Schulze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction on early Florida.

[Nikolina Lukic]

i like it just because i love history

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

B. fiction, historical fiction, Florida, Civil War era, post Civil War, family, from stash, keep to give away

[Kristen Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book out loud with our girls! Such a great way to learn about local Florida history.

[Myersandburnsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Florida cracker history, so much heartache and so much joy.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Really good and now in want to read the “adult” version!