Far From the Land: An Irish Memoir

Far From The Land is a story about Thomas J. Rice and the struggles of an Irish farming family in the 50s. 

Rice’s alcoholic father took off and left him to become the man of the house. He left school because the headmaster was also an alcoholic and he was babysitting more than he was learning anything.

An old and respected neighbour eventually spurred him on to leave Ireland by saying, “If I were young agin, I’d get the hell outa here an’ make a something’ o’ meself”. The inspirational message throughout Far From The Land was despite the odds, if people are determined enough, they could overcome obstacles and make their dreams come true.

I recognized many of the Irish names in Far From the Land from friends and family in Newfoundland and Ontario as many of our ancestors emigrated from Ireland to Canada. It would probably be fascinating for anyone to read Rice’s memoir and learn more about Ireland's culture.  Read full review