The Last of the Husbandmen: A Novel of Farming Life

Logsdon writes about contemporary farming issues with quaint elegance, good humor and rich detail in this novel set in the rustic village of Gowler, Ohio. Ben Bump grows up poor and of immigrant parents, while his boyhood friend Emmett Gowler is from the village founder's affluent family. Logsdon explores different agricultural methods and philosophies that highlight the benefits of Ben's frugal organic approach over Emmett's greedy agribusiness. A few lively subplots—Ben's sister's sparring with Emmett, the defrocking of the local KKK—offset the preachy overtones and the welter of arguments advocating the family farm. Full-bodied characters and the fecund Midwest setting also help to propel Logsdon's narrative about a disappearing way of life. (Mar.)