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Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman

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Description

A pioneer woman's memoir of the Mississippi Delta that “crackles with personality, putting a face on the unsung, nameless tillers of the soil” (Publishers Weekly). Near the end of her life, Mary Mann Hamilton (1866–c.1936) began recording her experiences in the backwoods of the Mississippi Delta. The result is this astonishing first-person account of a pioneer woman who braved grueling work, profound tragedy, and a pitiless wilderness (she and her family faced floods, tornadoes, fires, bears, panthers, and snakes) to protect her home in the early American South. An early draft of Trials of the Earth was submitted to a writers' competition sponsored by Little, Brown in 1933. It didn't win, and we almost lost the chance to bring this raw, vivid narrative to readers. Eighty-three years later, in partnership with Mary Mann Hamilton's descendants, we're proud to share this irreplaceable piece of American history. Written in spare, rich prose, Trials of the Earth is a precious record of one woman's extraordinary endurance and courage that will resonate with readers of history and fiction alike. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 5, 2017


Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 6.7 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Jun 19

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • A Remarkable Life
What an amazing story of Mary Mann Hamilton's life. She was a woman of great strength and fortitude. It is hard to even comprehend the hardships that she went through and woke up to do it all again the next day. To birth babies and lose babies but put it into perspective and keep going. Regardless of being separated from her husband Frank, she always loved him and missed him. In my opinion, she and Frank loved each other very much, and that love included their children. I was sad for her when Frank died and could feel her pain. What amazing children they raised. They worked almost as hard as their parents. As a pioneer, life was a struggle just to have food, water, a roof over your head, and to eke out a living. This story will stay within my heart for a long time! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024 by Kindle Customer
    • True account of a female pioneer in Mississippi Delta in 1800s.
Really interesting memoir of a young woman who settled in the Mississippi Delta in the late 1800s. In her own words, this narrative describes her life and the many hardships she and her family went through. Life was so difficult then, but she was strong and tough and optimistic, she worked extremely hard, and she survived until old age. This is a true picture of pioneer life, the early timber camps in the south, and the joys and sorrows and dangers these early settlers lived through. Very thought provoking! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016 by E. P.
    • Amazing Tale of Pioneering Life by one Brave Woman!
I have never read an autobiography quite like this and it will stay with me a long time. A marvelous tale of an early settler's life in the late eighteen hundreds in some of our southern states. It is on the par with the Little House on the Prairie series only for adults. This is one woman's story written at the end of her life quite by chance wirh encouragement by a neighbor to get her to tell the tales. Children dying, river flooding, moving from place to place, losing everything and starting over, etc. Life was nothing like today when you homesteaded and there was little that was sure. They had grit in those days and the strong survived. Her husband was British and there is a mystery throughout the book as to his origins and past. The scene that I will always remember is Mary sitting in a chair atop a tree stump with infant and young daughter in the pouring rain, as river water slowly crept up her ankles as she waited for rescue. This would appeal to anyone interested in pioneer history as well as historical women's stories. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2020 by Kindle Customer
    • Great Story
I bought this book because it was mentioned on an NPR show and it tweaked the history enthusiast in me. It was well written by an aging mother with many heartfelt stories of her struggles taming the wilderness in logging camps where she would go years without seeing another women or children other than her own. I was struck that even though she grieved deeply over the loss of several children, it was simply thought to be the way of things. Even when her doctor (and friend) accidentally poisoned her son, she bore no ill will towards the doctor. It was like she appreciated that doctors were not to be taken for granted in the wilderness. Children are born and children die. Their chances are better with a doctor around even if he make occasional mistakes. Such a contrast from the TV commercials we see today, "Can't you think of someone to sue?" The story was very real and very touching. I'd like to read more period stories from real people like this one. They make you appreciate your own life much more. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2016 by Vic Oeftering
    • Good history lesson; not a page turner though
An excellent look at pioneering. Like the TRUE stories of Little House on the Prairie. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. It reads almost like fiction when you account for the numerous trials this family faced. Also, it is almost unfathomable the grit and hard work required to make a living during this time. I'm glad I read the book for that reason. However, I must say it was somewhat of a chore to read. It took me a while to really get into the characters, but I eventually did. I cried when there were deaths. Frank probably had the most dimension of any of the characters. I never quite knew what he was going to do next. I didn't trust him but did trust him at the same time. I'm sure that's how Mary felt too. For most of the book it was an endless cycle of move the family, suffer tragedy, move the family, suffer tragedy, and on and on. Also, I did not care for the titles of the chapters as they gave away what was going to happen in that chapter. The ending was really good and made up for some of the tedious middle of the book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017 by FourBoyMom
    • A riveting a account of a woman and her family settling Mississippi
This read starts out ordinary, but quickly becomes a riveting account of a woman and her husband in the unsettled wilds of Mississippi. She goes through floods, child birth, child loss, multiple homes, little money, and heartbreaking loss, but keeps her family together. It is difficult to set the stage properly for this true story. Read it and you will be transported to a world that we have no idea existed. She was an amazing woman and raised a family in spite of flood, fire, draught, and child loss. One of her sons lived to be Governor of Mississippi. She lived until the mid 1930's and dictated her story at the urging of her friend. It was brought to print by the intervention of Morgan Freeman. It is a story that will live with you for years, in a good way. I read it twice, ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2020 by Rosehill Ann
    • Easy but informative read
This is a true story of a woman living in the 1800's. How she copes with all the work, grief, and problems amazes me. She relates the loss of children, unending drudgery, and unfulfilled dreams and aspirations with calm acceptance. She has tremendous physical and emotional strength, which is really in short supply today. This should be required reading for all the little snowflakes inhabiting America today. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017 by RestlessTime

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