| Amber Waves and Undertow |
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Amber Waves and Undertow: Peril, Hope, Sweat, and Downright Nonchalance in Dry Wheat Country By Steve Turner
A  dams County, Washington, is home to farmlands on the Columbia Plateau
that produce more crops than might be expected. While unique in its
geography and history, it also faces many of the problems confronting
farmers throughout rural America.Seasoned journalist Steve Turner, having spent time in Adams County as a young harvest hand, returned to the region to portray farm life and history in a land where change is a subtle but powerful constant. Amber Waves and Undertow interweaves family narratives, historical episodes, and Turner's own experiences to illuminate the transformation of rural America from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century.
Whether
distilling the lore of wheat and potato agriculture or
describing action at a combine demolition derby, Turner celebrates both
the usual and the unusual among local residents. He blends stories of
pioneer settlers with vignettes of present-day life, introducing
readers to the characters--the hardworking and the eccentric, the
old-timers and the Latino newcomers--who populate this corner of
America.
In
the mode of John McPhee and Wendell Berry, Turner's lyrical prose
conveys his affection for both the land and its inhabitants. Amber
Waves and Undertow is a thoughtful depiction of an exceptional place
that puts the difficulties of individual farmers in national and global
contexts, showing us that only by understanding the past of ruralAmerica can we confront its future challenges.
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