Plains Song: For Female Voices

Wright Morris offers us a peculiar vision of the good old days in “Plains Song.” In his novel, hard work on the land pays off while the dislocation of the seventies undermines the family unit. It is strange reading this after “Prairie Fires” and “The Worst Hard Times,” books that go through great pains to show the harsh realities of farming in the Midwest in the 20th Century. For the harsh reality is that the halcyon good old days were a myth. So what is Morris selling when he somehow ignores the Depression and agricultural malaise of the first half of the twentieth century to spotlight the plight of the small time farmer in the seventies. In truth, farming families have often worked hard with only the occasional boom to make up for years of hard living and financial peril.To my mind Morris appears to be drawing comparisons between a generation of women that saw marriage as an economic exchange and a later generation of women that undermine the institution in lieu of self gratification. In between lies a generation of women, one of whom embraces the role of mother, while the other seeks out a celibate(?), or perhaps a sisterly, spinsterhood. The speed with which the novel jumps to the present day to layout these comparisons is dizzying. What seems lost in the shuffle is a subplot of a young girl coming into her own, who’s development is suddenly dashed at the whim of a fickle sponsor.I loved the language and the voice Morris brought to these characters, I just did not appreciate what he had them say.

This story follows three generations of Midwestern women . The genesis of this lineage is the wife of a homestead farmer who immigrated from Ohio to Nebraska .The homestead family including relatives ends up raising a host of daughters and no sons. The story starts with the bondage of the founding farmer wife but ends with the dawning feminism of an aging daughter and one of her nieces. I enjoyed the historical look at Midwestern women as they grew more individualistic and modern. But I was mildly dubious about a male writer's ability to portray a woman's thoughts. In my writing practice I try to stick with women's actions and my thoughts about them.

The Kindle version I bought had a long introduction that annoyed me so much I almost did not read the book. I am so glad I did!!It was compelling, brilliantly understanding of family and community relationships about 40 years ago( (although set earlier). The characters were so well delineated. I felt I knew them. ( Is this because I grew up in a rural community?) I read the intro again, and its characters now made sense.

I could not finish this book, it was so boring from a man's perspective. As a woman it might be meaningful. It was all about three generations of pioneer women. We learn how they dealt with their men, the struggles of living, the culture and so forth.It was too bland for me.

Plains Song for Female Voices is a book about women's lives on the great plains through the 1980's. Character development is slow, book is slow and I personally would not recommend it. I thought it was dull and lacked plot. BORING!

Had never read this author before.

great book

This book covers three generations of women. The Atkins family produces only girls. Cora wouldn't have minded only boys, but it didn't happen. Serious literature. I like the way Mr Morris writes, bringing readers into this story of plains folks and the way their lives go. The book is not overly long but contains 229 pages.The book begins when Cora Atkins is close to death. A widow, she has lived many years, outliving her husband, brother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece. I read this book and was impressed with Mr Morris writing and decided to read it again. Cora is an only child from the east coast, probably New England. She is tall, six feet, skeleton thin, with an English complexion, serious minded. She worked for her father in his store. He worries about her,, feared she'd be an old maid depending on relatives to take her in and misuse her. He sends her to a brother in Ohio. She is about twenty. Cora works in a restaurant, meets Emerson, a farmer from Nebraska. Emerson looks older than 27, almost middle aged, stocky build, and is impressed at Cora's hard work, competence and serious ways. He marries her and brings her west. The books tells of the day to day work of running a farm, keeping house, and raising children. Emerson has a younger brother, Orion, who goes hunting in the Ozark Mountains and comes home with a bride, Belle, a hill woman. Then the daughters begin to arrive.Cora's first and only child, daughter Madge, named after grandmothers is born. Then Belle arrives, daughter, Sharon Rose is born.. The two cousins are inseparable, like twins. Then another daughter, Fayrene. Belle dies with this one. The girls grow up and go their separate ways. Sharon Rose is angry that Madge forgot their closeness and gets married.Madge likes being a wife and housekeeper, she likes everything about keeping house, laundry, cleaning, sewing, cooking not so much. Sharon goes to college, works for a career in music, moves to Chicago, and can't believe Madge is happy with just being a small town wife and home maker. All of the ladies are different. Sharon Rose doesn't care for children, a modern woman for her time and place. The book begins a few years before the Great War.Madge has three daughters. Blanche, slow and quiet, very tall, skeleton thin just like her Grandmother Cora. Caroline a spitfire and Rosalene. No more kids says her doctor. But Ed loves his daughters.Years pass. Fayrene has five girls. Then one daughter has a son. Wonders will never cease. The old folks die, the daughters are middle age, Fayrene is a grandmother. The next generation is arriving. Good book, but different. I like the way Mr Morris writes, puts words together in a different way I am impressed with this book. I also like how the chapters begin with pictures of the old room, back in time.