A Thousand Acres is the story of three sisters in Iowa, told from the perspective of the oldest sister, Ginny, as their rural lives unravel in the aftermath of their father’s sudden decision to sign over all of his land holdings and day-to-day farm operations to them.

This transaction sets off a series of reactions from the sisters, resulting in a domino effect of both intended and unintended consequences and enlightening and devastating revelations.

The story is compelling and deeply personal. Jane Smiley’s portrayal of growing up female in the male-dominated world of pre-1970s rural America is spot-on. Ginny recalls the first time she saw her husband at a high school football game on page 344, and the lowly feelings she described took me back to my own upbringing:

I saw a rangy, good-looking older boy waving at me. I was flattered, so I smiled and waved back in spite of my habitual fearfulness. It was Ty, and when he saw me wave at him, his face went blank. I looked around. The girl he was waving at was two rows in back of me. After we started dating, five years later, he swore he could not remember this incident, and I’m sure he didn’t, but it was burned into my memory as a reminder of the shame you courted if ever you made the mistake of thinking too well of yourself.

I’m glad I read this book; it had been recommended to me several times. It shows that farm life, or any life, for that matter, is never as simple as it seems. Layer upon layer of secrets and things left unsaid lie below the exterior, public version of any family or community, and a single action can start peeling those layers back for everyone to see underneath.

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley | Goodreads