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See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America
To save their marriage and their sanity, the author and his wife sold their belongings, packed up their two-year-old son, and moved to a rundown farmhouse in the country without any plans past surviving the year. Living as though it were the year 1900, they struggled with recalcitrant livestock, garden-destroying bugs, rain that would not come, and their own insecurities, to ultimately discover a sense of community and a sense of themselves that changed not only their marriage, but the entire Swoope, Virginia community. Lyrically told and powerfully evocative, this memoir for the modern age deals with the growing sense of disassociation and yearning to escape the frenetic pace of daily life in today’s society.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published May 11, 2007
12 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
About the author
Logan Ward
13 books7 followersFreelance writer Logan Ward has written travel stories for National Geographic Adventure, the New York Times, Men’s Journal, Popular Science, House Beautiful and other publications. He also writes regularly about science and architecture and is a contributing editor for Popular Mechanics, Cottage Living, Coastal Living, New Old House and Southern Accents. In 2000, he and his family moved from New York City to Swoope, Virginia, to recreate the life of 19th century subsistence farmers, the subject of his memoir See You in a Hundred Years. He lives with his wife and two children in Staunton, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
May 21, 2008
Worth the read, if only to laugh at them. Why, folks? Why? As far as I can tell, the real driver in their whole adventure must have been the book contract. I can appreciate the desire for a simpler, more rustic, self-sufficient life (hey- I picked up the book, didn't I?), but the strictures they place on themselves are ludicrous. And given that they were determined to live within these boundaries, why didn't they educate themselves more in advance of their start. One hundred years ago, no one was magically plopped down on a farm not knowing how to drive & tack up (or take care of, for G*d's sake) a draft horse- they would have learned these things from those with more experience. I laughed, but I also was very tense throughout the book, from worrying about them.
March 25, 2010
The premise of the book was okay, but...
I'm a country girl myself. My great grand's house had been outfitted with electricity and running water by the time I came along, but right up the path my grandad still had to get well water and the bathroom consisting of a room with a big metal tin for bathing in (with a chamberpot for the nightly bathroom trips) and an outhouse.
So the planting, harvest, totting water to and fro, preserving and pickling, tending animals- I watched and knew how all that worked out before I was 6 years old. That said, I found it amazing an adult person would have that hard of a time learning the ropes. Some of the things he did (like killing harmless black snakes then complaining of the rodents and peeing around his crops gross!) made me snicker. I try not to be too judgmental though- I have been to NY twice and both times I'm sure I looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
The whole 1900's bit threw me off. It's like he felt having electric lights would completely make the experience unauthentic. Anyone who's lived in the country can tell you, if you are living off the food you raise and grow, you don't sit on your hands, you WORK. From the time you get up to the time you lie down, you are doing doing doing. Just because there was electricity and tv, barely anyone watched it. I didn't start with TV until we moved away when I was 6. His life would have taken a complete 360 living in the 21st century on a farm even with a few amenities. What I found really despicable was his wife had been in horrible pain and he don't want to drive her to a doctor because he don't want to break out of the 1900 role-playing?
I suppose this book would be 'eye opening' or shocking to someone who has lived a busy city life, but to me, it was nothing impressive. The only thing I thought was: it was nice he stuck to his guns. Still, the whole 1900's bit just seemed queer and backward to me.
I'm a country girl myself. My great grand's house had been outfitted with electricity and running water by the time I came along, but right up the path my grandad still had to get well water and the bathroom consisting of a room with a big metal tin for bathing in (with a chamberpot for the nightly bathroom trips) and an outhouse.
So the planting, harvest, totting water to and fro, preserving and pickling, tending animals- I watched and knew how all that worked out before I was 6 years old. That said, I found it amazing an adult person would have that hard of a time learning the ropes. Some of the things he did (like killing harmless black snakes then complaining of the rodents and peeing around his crops gross!) made me snicker. I try not to be too judgmental though- I have been to NY twice and both times I'm sure I looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
The whole 1900's bit threw me off. It's like he felt having electric lights would completely make the experience unauthentic. Anyone who's lived in the country can tell you, if you are living off the food you raise and grow, you don't sit on your hands, you WORK. From the time you get up to the time you lie down, you are doing doing doing. Just because there was electricity and tv, barely anyone watched it. I didn't start with TV until we moved away when I was 6. His life would have taken a complete 360 living in the 21st century on a farm even with a few amenities. What I found really despicable was his wife had been in horrible pain and he don't want to drive her to a doctor because he don't want to break out of the 1900 role-playing?
I suppose this book would be 'eye opening' or shocking to someone who has lived a busy city life, but to me, it was nothing impressive. The only thing I thought was: it was nice he stuck to his guns. Still, the whole 1900's bit just seemed queer and backward to me.
April 12, 2008
I'll admit that I received this book nearly 4 months ago for Christmas and it has languished on a shelf b/c it's non-fiction. My husband was more excited about it and read it not long ago, at which point he strongly encouraged me to make time to read it. With non-fiction books, I essentially have to force myself to get started and then if it's a good book, it's easier to keep going (sort of like a good run where getting out of bed is the hardest part).
I really enjoyed this book. The premise is that two thirty-somethings decide to live with their two year old for one year like it was 1900. This means no running water, no electricity, no cars, etc. What I enjoyed was the way their experiences made me think about how I live my own everyday life. Where am I letting technology cripple rather than assist me? Am I helping my children be in tune to the natural rhythms of the seasons? Are we connected to the food that we are eating and its preparation?
If you've ever fantasized about chucking "city life" and moving to a farm, read this book: you might change or your mind... or sell your house.
I really enjoyed this book. The premise is that two thirty-somethings decide to live with their two year old for one year like it was 1900. This means no running water, no electricity, no cars, etc. What I enjoyed was the way their experiences made me think about how I live my own everyday life. Where am I letting technology cripple rather than assist me? Am I helping my children be in tune to the natural rhythms of the seasons? Are we connected to the food that we are eating and its preparation?
If you've ever fantasized about chucking "city life" and moving to a farm, read this book: you might change or your mind... or sell your house.
August 14, 2020
A fascinating read about the author and his family's year of living life as it was lived in 1900. Everything they did was done the way it was back then, from using a horse and buggy to reading by candlelight. I appreciated his honesty about the difficulties he had with farming and in his relationship with his wife. The epilogue, in which he updates us on what his family is up to, was a nice ending. A heartwarming, quick read.
December 5, 2021
A vicarious adventure in living history that I couldn’t put down. Funny, interesting, insightful, self-aware. I could have done without the occasional swear words, but they were part of the conversational tone that I otherwise enjoyed.
It also made me hungry for vegetables.
It also made me hungry for vegetables.
Read
March 23, 2014Tired of their stressed-out 21st century city life, Heather and Logan Ward and their young son, Luther, sell their fashionable New York City apartment and buy a farm from another century. They settle in the farming community of Swoope in Virginia’s Shenendoah Valley, determined to live a “nothing modern” life out of 1900, for one full year.
Sound romantic, maybe even idyllic? Reality soon roosts with the chickens, forcing the Wards to face 1900 – and themselves –sans starry-eyed blinders: “Not only are we stressing ourselves out in order to de-stress, we’re rushing to slow down, recreating the past with the period-appropriate stuff (so much for Thoreauvian asceticism)” p. 27.
Divided into two parts, Green and Seasoned, part one rims with idealism, frustration, tension, angst, fear and exhaustion. Chapters include Goodbye, New York, Old Year’s Eve, Expedition to Nowhere, How I Learn to Drive, and Waiting for Rain. Part 2, Seasoned, turns a corner into guarded optimism, with chapters like Picking, Cleaning, Shelling Shucking, News from the Future, Under Fire, Home for the Holidays, and Back to the Future.
“Recreating the past” has its share of bumps, bruises, and adventure. “Simple life” in a century past also proves more complicated than the Wards anticipated. Making coffee and oatmeal before noon is a major accomplishment in the new-old century. Others include learning to drive a “bombproof” draft horse, Belle, and a wagon, battling drought, snakes, garden pests, rodents, exhaustion, a cantankerous wood stove, and incredulous (at first) neighbors. The Wards must also learn how to milk twin Nubian goats, maker their own cheese and butter, do without electricity, a phone, TV, computers, email, and running water. Not to mention doing laundry with a hand-wring “washing machine” and figuring out how to survive a Virginia winter with nothing but a wood stove for heat. But there are other surprises: the art of the Drop-In. These unannounced, extemporaneous visits from neighbors initially irritate but later invigorate. Unexpected kindness. Generosity with skin on. Handmade birthday and Christmas gifts. A good sleep after a job well-done.
This occasionally uneven, sometimes coarse and often hilarious chronicle takes us back one hundred years while wondering, “How did they do it?” Ward’s pithy commentary and observations include, “By respecting the past, we can live a more meaningful present – and future. All my doubts about why we left New York? The fear that I was fleeing adult responsibility, putting my family at risk because I could not cope with reality? Those worries were unfounded. This project isn’t about escape. It’s about exploring those inalienable realities facing humanity since the dawn of time – food, water, nature, community. It’s about finding our place in the continuum of history” (p. 227).
As their year in 1900 winds down, the little family forges tighter bonds. Connections. Deeper roots. New skills. Old-fashioned ingenuity. A network of support not bound by time or technology. New friends. Neighbors. Community.
Written with a nimble touch and brisk panache, See You in a Hundred Years is persuasive without being patronizing, honest without being acerbic. It almost makes you want to chuck your stressed-out 21st century life for “simple life,” too. Almost.
Sound romantic, maybe even idyllic? Reality soon roosts with the chickens, forcing the Wards to face 1900 – and themselves –sans starry-eyed blinders: “Not only are we stressing ourselves out in order to de-stress, we’re rushing to slow down, recreating the past with the period-appropriate stuff (so much for Thoreauvian asceticism)” p. 27.
Divided into two parts, Green and Seasoned, part one rims with idealism, frustration, tension, angst, fear and exhaustion. Chapters include Goodbye, New York, Old Year’s Eve, Expedition to Nowhere, How I Learn to Drive, and Waiting for Rain. Part 2, Seasoned, turns a corner into guarded optimism, with chapters like Picking, Cleaning, Shelling Shucking, News from the Future, Under Fire, Home for the Holidays, and Back to the Future.
“Recreating the past” has its share of bumps, bruises, and adventure. “Simple life” in a century past also proves more complicated than the Wards anticipated. Making coffee and oatmeal before noon is a major accomplishment in the new-old century. Others include learning to drive a “bombproof” draft horse, Belle, and a wagon, battling drought, snakes, garden pests, rodents, exhaustion, a cantankerous wood stove, and incredulous (at first) neighbors. The Wards must also learn how to milk twin Nubian goats, maker their own cheese and butter, do without electricity, a phone, TV, computers, email, and running water. Not to mention doing laundry with a hand-wring “washing machine” and figuring out how to survive a Virginia winter with nothing but a wood stove for heat. But there are other surprises: the art of the Drop-In. These unannounced, extemporaneous visits from neighbors initially irritate but later invigorate. Unexpected kindness. Generosity with skin on. Handmade birthday and Christmas gifts. A good sleep after a job well-done.
This occasionally uneven, sometimes coarse and often hilarious chronicle takes us back one hundred years while wondering, “How did they do it?” Ward’s pithy commentary and observations include, “By respecting the past, we can live a more meaningful present – and future. All my doubts about why we left New York? The fear that I was fleeing adult responsibility, putting my family at risk because I could not cope with reality? Those worries were unfounded. This project isn’t about escape. It’s about exploring those inalienable realities facing humanity since the dawn of time – food, water, nature, community. It’s about finding our place in the continuum of history” (p. 227).
As their year in 1900 winds down, the little family forges tighter bonds. Connections. Deeper roots. New skills. Old-fashioned ingenuity. A network of support not bound by time or technology. New friends. Neighbors. Community.
Written with a nimble touch and brisk panache, See You in a Hundred Years is persuasive without being patronizing, honest without being acerbic. It almost makes you want to chuck your stressed-out 21st century life for “simple life,” too. Almost.
February 24, 2012
I really enjoyed this account of a family trying to live a year as though it were 1900 (though I was put off by the many f-words in the first half--just a warning to like-minded friends). First, the author just tells us his family's decision, describes how it went, relates what he thinks of it along the way, and honestly shares his conclusions. There is no agenda, no politics, no beating us over the head with how we all should do this or that. Second, he weaves his experience with history by setting the 1900 scene as he goes along. I liked that there wasn't an entire section on how people lived in 1900, followed by his own trip to the past; details were given as needed. Finally, his consistent honesty is just awesome. He shares his fears of safety for his son. He describes dreaming of a real razor, of his temptation to use a sample razor from the mail. He frequently emphasizes his appreciation for the unexpected community support. He's candid about all the stupid mistakes and simple successes.
One thing that was lacking was his wife's perspective. There were some details about her cooking and canning, but there had to have been so much more. As a wife and mother, I wanted to know how all that housekeeping and childcare worked out for her.
This book didn't make me feel guilty for not being 100% green; instead, it made me examine where my life can be simpler, how I can certainly work harder, and how I can reach out to my own community more.
One thing that was lacking was his wife's perspective. There were some details about her cooking and canning, but there had to have been so much more. As a wife and mother, I wanted to know how all that housekeeping and childcare worked out for her.
This book didn't make me feel guilty for not being 100% green; instead, it made me examine where my life can be simpler, how I can certainly work harder, and how I can reach out to my own community more.
January 17, 2008
Logan Ward and his wife Heather took their son and set up house in the Shenandoah Valley here in Virginia. They spent a year living as if it’s the year 1900—growing their own food, forgoing TV and tampons, taking splash baths, etc.
Damn, I like this book.
It’s not even the 1900 stuff that’s most interesting, although it is. (Their son is still in diapers when they start the project, brave souls.) It’s the interaction with his neighbors, this getting along with people that would sooner poke their eyes out than live in New York City.
We lived in a different part of the Shenandoah Valley for years, and I’ve probably exhaustively documented the ways in which it didn’t feel like home to me. But there is something about the area that feels like time has touched it, um, really gently. It might have had something to do with the old-order Mennonites still riding their horses and buggies, or the ongoing popularity of mullets. I don’t know. But even with email and TV and hot showers, living there felt remote to me. After reading See You, I’m thinking the remoteness had to do with the feeling that it just wasn’t my community.
It’s good book. Also, I'd love to hear Heather's perspective on the year.
Damn, I like this book.
It’s not even the 1900 stuff that’s most interesting, although it is. (Their son is still in diapers when they start the project, brave souls.) It’s the interaction with his neighbors, this getting along with people that would sooner poke their eyes out than live in New York City.
We lived in a different part of the Shenandoah Valley for years, and I’ve probably exhaustively documented the ways in which it didn’t feel like home to me. But there is something about the area that feels like time has touched it, um, really gently. It might have had something to do with the old-order Mennonites still riding their horses and buggies, or the ongoing popularity of mullets. I don’t know. But even with email and TV and hot showers, living there felt remote to me. After reading See You, I’m thinking the remoteness had to do with the feeling that it just wasn’t my community.
It’s good book. Also, I'd love to hear Heather's perspective on the year.
January 24, 2010
This is a leisurely read of a family who decides to move from New York City to rural Virginia; and, much more importantly, live without technology that did not exist in the year 1900. This is not an updated Walden. The autobiographer certainly extolls the virtues of living off the land, getting off the grid, and many other sustainability-type coloquialisms. However, the family quickly learns that life with modern techonology is very difficult. For the first several month of the experiment, the family found themselves more stressed, not less. And by the end, (spoiler alert: but the this story is about the journey, not the destination) the family eventually gives up not only their pre-modern life, but also all of their pristine surroundings for a return to the modern inconveniences of their past lives. Pretty soon, these folks could not even find time to grow a garden. So, more power to Ward if this book was financially successful. But, Ward unintentionally proved the point of many anti-environmentalists that life before modern technology pretty much sucked. See You in a Hundred Years is nice night-time reading. But, keep looking if you desire some type of sustainability morality.
April 6, 2008
This book chronicled a family's decision and execution of an idea to live as if it were 1900 for one year. It's a fascinating look at everything they have to remove from their newly-purchased rural farm (such as electricity, indoor plumbing and even the automated water pump) and their resulting dependence on the land, their animals, each other and their community. You'll think they're crazy - they are! - but by the end you'll wonder if you could do it, because they gain so much and lose so little.
May 13, 2010
Mildly interesting but largely uninspiring, this book is another entry in the 'alternative-living project-lit' category. A young, harried, professional couple (with baby in tow) decide to drop out of the rat race for a year and live on a rural farm as if it were 1900. Clearly the result of a book deal, it feels a little too gimmicky and not very historical. Watch 1900 House or Frontier House by PBS for a more interesting and historically rich riff on this theme.
January 29, 2013
I read this book because I thought it would be fun and interesting (which it was), but I was also surprised by its depth. The writing was funny and honest. It was probably more about family and community than it was about the 1900s (though there was that aspect too). The book made me examine my own "modern" life in a way I had not done before. Reading the book was enjoyable and thought provoking -- a rare combination
July 25, 2019
Books recommended by my dad are kind of hit-and-miss for me (the last book I read on his recommendation I gave just 2 stars), but this one was a surprising hit.
Sure, the Wards project to live for a whole year as if it were the year 1900 is a little extreme. There are surely less intense ways to tackle the problems they faced -- a desire to slow down and rethink their priorities. Moving out to the country and cancelling Internet and cell phone service probably would have done the trick just as well as going the whole nine yards, building an outhouse, and living without vehicles or electricity.
Despite that, it was a real treat to read about something that I would never actually do myself. Ward's descriptions of the natural world and life without technology are beautiful, crisp, and vivid. I felt totally transported to this faux 1900s world. Even more compelling were the examinations of the impact the project had on his relationship with his wife and their toddler son. Perhaps this book found me at just the right time, as my son is the same age as Logan and Heather's was (I honestly cannot fathom how they lived 1900s-style with a two-year-old always underfoot -- I can barely make my husband's lunch and breakfast with a toddler around and current technology at my disposal.) But the search for meaning and beauty really resonated with me, and I'm glad I didn't have to go without running water for a year to experience it.
Sure, the Wards project to live for a whole year as if it were the year 1900 is a little extreme. There are surely less intense ways to tackle the problems they faced -- a desire to slow down and rethink their priorities. Moving out to the country and cancelling Internet and cell phone service probably would have done the trick just as well as going the whole nine yards, building an outhouse, and living without vehicles or electricity.
Despite that, it was a real treat to read about something that I would never actually do myself. Ward's descriptions of the natural world and life without technology are beautiful, crisp, and vivid. I felt totally transported to this faux 1900s world. Even more compelling were the examinations of the impact the project had on his relationship with his wife and their toddler son. Perhaps this book found me at just the right time, as my son is the same age as Logan and Heather's was (I honestly cannot fathom how they lived 1900s-style with a two-year-old always underfoot -- I can barely make my husband's lunch and breakfast with a toddler around and current technology at my disposal.) But the search for meaning and beauty really resonated with me, and I'm glad I didn't have to go without running water for a year to experience it.
October 14, 2018
Logan and his wife, Heather, decided to leave their jobs and lives in New York City and take their 2-year old to Virginia to buy and live on a farm. Not only that, they were going to renovate the house to make it so that they would be living in the year 1900. They wanted to live this way for a full year.
I find these so interesting! There was a British tv show (which gave Logan and Heather the idea) called The 1900 House. Not long after, in Canada, there was a tv show called Pioneer Quest that took two couples and did pretty much what Logan and Heather did, except they went back a few years earlier to the 1880s, and they had to build their homes from scratch.
That being said, I found this really interesting. At the same time, considering the tv I’ve seen with similar topics, I wasn’t surprised at how difficult it was, as well as a huge reliance on (unpredictable) Mother Nature. It was nice to see the community and neighbours come together to help them out. The only thing is that I would have liked more in the epilogue – how much of hat they did/learned during that year did they continue with when they returned to the current day?
I find these so interesting! There was a British tv show (which gave Logan and Heather the idea) called The 1900 House. Not long after, in Canada, there was a tv show called Pioneer Quest that took two couples and did pretty much what Logan and Heather did, except they went back a few years earlier to the 1880s, and they had to build their homes from scratch.
That being said, I found this really interesting. At the same time, considering the tv I’ve seen with similar topics, I wasn’t surprised at how difficult it was, as well as a huge reliance on (unpredictable) Mother Nature. It was nice to see the community and neighbours come together to help them out. The only thing is that I would have liked more in the epilogue – how much of hat they did/learned during that year did they continue with when they returned to the current day?
June 22, 2018
Debbie, Elkton patron, June 2018, 5 stars:
What a GREAT book! It happens in our Shenandoah valley! Living as if you were in 1900. Who would ever want to do that? There is lots of humor as this young couple and their 2 yr. old son deal with the 'good 'ol days.' Transportation became bikes and horse and wagon. Communication is by walking to someone's house or writing a letter. Food was grown by you, prepared by you. I loved this real life adventure.
What a GREAT book! It happens in our Shenandoah valley! Living as if you were in 1900. Who would ever want to do that? There is lots of humor as this young couple and their 2 yr. old son deal with the 'good 'ol days.' Transportation became bikes and horse and wagon. Communication is by walking to someone's house or writing a letter. Food was grown by you, prepared by you. I loved this real life adventure.
July 8, 2019
More like a 2.5 but the ending made up for it and kept me from rating this two stars. I found a lot of reading this as tiring and like pulling teeth but somehow by the end I was invested in Logan and Heather's tale and was kind of sad when it all ended. Even during the afterword I found myself in a bittersweet kind of mood.
I do wish he'd write more about his life and had more books.
I do wish he'd write more about his life and had more books.
September 4, 2013
See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America, by Logan Ward, is a charming and intriguing contribution to the growing genre of "yuppies back to the land" memoirs. It tells the story of the decision by the author and his wife to not only move to a small farm in a rural area, but make their livings on that farm using only technology from the late 19th Century: no electricity, no cars, no telephone, and no gas or electric farm machinery.
Like many people who have made similar (though usually less drastic) changes, this couple are hapless fishes out of water for much of the time they devote to their experiment. They have to be taught almost everything about living in their own house and running their own farm. When the author decides to purchase a draft horse and horse-drawn farm equipment, he stumbles into another entirely foreign body of skill and knowledge, for which he has to rely on a local horse trainer for grudging guidance. The book thus illustrates not so much the difficulties of living a back-to-the-land existence, or even of making the transition from city to country life, but the particular challenges of coming up to speed with unfamiliar skills and knowledge in the early days of doing so. This couple ups the ante on themselves with their stringent manual-labor ethos. By the time their first, difficult year in their run-down, almost unlivable farmhouse has ended, they are much more prepared to take on the challenges they have accepted - but by that point the book is finished.
Ward and his wife come to appreciate the neighborliness of country living, and it is apparent not only that they could not have survived without some crucial assistance from new friends they meet in their area, but that that kind of helping hand is the norm in such communities. Ward also writes frankly of the tensions that grew between himself and his wife - pregnant during most of the most difficult year of their lives - and the threat their rural experiment posed both to their careers and life savings, and their marriage as well. One thing that comes through, perhaps unintentionally, is that neither of them seemed really prepared for the task they had taken on - not merely in the sense of the difficulty of the jobs they had to perform, but in regard of their personal willingness to face hardship in completing them.
A central question that the book never adequately addresses is why they chose to make their new life so hard by eschewing all powered technology. Some general discussion of environmental issues is offered, but it doesn't jibe well with the couple's previously fully-technologized city life, or their remove to a more modern farm at the end of the one-year experiment. Their motivation for going back to the land is clear enough, and understandable, but their insistence on doing it the hardest way possible from the very beginning is not. Inevitably, challenges to this principle crop up (their in-laws' insistence on bringing store-bought foods to their home; the question whether to keep a cellphone for emergency use during her pregnancy; how to get to the hospital when the time came), and the haziness of their commitment to it makes it hard to understand the choices they make, or why they seem to agonize so much over a principle that doesn't seem to be necessary in the first place. (It seems as if they had some vague sense that this was what "real" environmentalism required, but it's possible they just realized it would make a good hook for a book deal.)
In the end, the new farmers survive their year, but it would be hard to say they thrive. They learn a great deal and finally make a commitment to an ongoing farm-based life under less-trying conditions. One assumes their second year was a lot easier. As an example of what is possible for rural romantics under even unfavorable conditions, perhaps this volume will give some encouragement to those of like mind; an example of making an easy transition to a new life, this is not. But it leaves the reader with a feeling of affection and admiration for a couple who took an even harder road than they had bargained for, stuck to their principles, found real value in the life they chose and the relationships they established in doing so, and finally prevailed. For those considering making a similar change, the book offers some useful guidance and an illustration of a lot of the things that can go wrong. It also points up some of the challenges of a fully off-the-grid lifestyle, and what life is like when choosing it.
On the last day of their year-long experiment in 19th-Century living, the author's wife kisses him good night and says "See you in a hundred years." The reader will share their bittersweet feeling at leaving their experiment behind. See You in a Hundred Years is an engaging trip through a lost way of life, in company with committed and honest guides, and is well worth the time spent on the journey.
November 22, 2024
I didn't feel they quite had a grasp of things, and then to throw it all away on day 366? There's no way a 1900 child would be in nappies at 3 either. Still, for someone who likes historical reality tv shows, like Edwardian Farm, this was a nice book to go along with the premise.
December 6, 2018
This was our community read a few years back. It was a great read. Very interesting to see what it was like for a family to live like it was 100 years ago.
February 28, 2024
很有趣的一本書，作者與家人用了一年時間，過1900年代人的生活方式，中間的點點滴滴，與鄰居、家人、大自然的相處都是寶貴的經驗。
January 1, 2024
Set in Swoope, VA (outside of Staunton).
October 29, 2020
In 2000 Logan Ward, his wife Heather and 2 year old son Luther move from NYC to Swoope Va and spend a year living as much as possible as though it is 1900. They buy a house, no more running water, electricity, car, tv, computer, phone or indoor plumbing, They cooked and heated with a wood stove, grew and preserved their own food and tried not to use anything that was invented after 1900. Enjoyable read.
March 2, 2012
Well. I finished this book several days ago and have waited to write my review. I'm glad I did. If I had rated it right away, I might have only given it three stars. Two reasons: One, they decide to live as if they are back in the year 1900 (with only 1900 technologies, such as they were) but they didn't prepare well enough (IMO) considering they had a young toddler at the time. Two, I was very disappointed when I read the added updates at the back of the book.
The first part of their "experiment" where they're overwhelmed, snapping at each other and trying desperately to hold it all together while they learn new skills--I found myself getting really annoyed with them. (I have to admit I usually sided with his wife). I felt they were short-sighted in their preparation for life without electricity or indoor plumbing. Not to mention no phone, car or ability to get food other than what they started with in staples and what they managed to grow. He didn't even know how to harness the horse or clean it's hooves. Not a great way of starting out. Thank God they took Carla Emery along for the ride. (Even though she hadn't written the book until WAY after 1900). When I read the line "Mommy, hug! Daddy, hug!" from their toddler who was feeling the friction of their disputes I felt so bad for this little guy. He didn't ask for this crazy experiment! But...as I read on, I could see that there was such an enormous benefit in raising a child in this environment that it worked itself out. I don't think he was "damaged" in any sense of the word.
***SPOILER***
I found it hard to comprehend WHY they would conduct this experiment in the first place, other than getting a book contract. I mean, I can understand someone wanting to trade in today's troubles (and conveniences) for yesterday's "simplicity." What I can't understand is why they only did this for a year. My first thought when learning that after the year was over they went back to the normal everyday life of the 20th century was: "Why would you give up all they had learned and gained?" Yes, I would want indoor plumbing. An outhouse holds no charms for me. And yes, I would most definitely want to be able to use electricity for a washing machine and vacuum cleaner. Lighting can be managed but I'm not a fan of washing clothes by hand in water hauled up from a well or forever trying to sweep up dirt. But everything else: The animals, the garden, the friendships that blossomed between them and their neighbors as well as others in the community, their peace of mind and new ability to be in tune with nature's rhythms--How in God's name did they give all that up? One of his comments at the end was of his neighbor saying that with them gone, "Things aren't the same." I grieved for that neighbor. And I grieved for them. It was an extremely hard life, but it seems that if they could have allowed electricity and water, they could have maintained so much of the good stuff they discovered at the farm. And that would be worth any other modern conveniences in my opinion.
In the end, even though I didn't agree with their choice...I can admit that each of us has to follow our own path and do what we think is best for our family. The story as a whole was well written and he had me totally immersed in their lives. For that, I'll get over my disappointment and give it four stars.
The first part of their "experiment" where they're overwhelmed, snapping at each other and trying desperately to hold it all together while they learn new skills--I found myself getting really annoyed with them. (I have to admit I usually sided with his wife). I felt they were short-sighted in their preparation for life without electricity or indoor plumbing. Not to mention no phone, car or ability to get food other than what they started with in staples and what they managed to grow. He didn't even know how to harness the horse or clean it's hooves. Not a great way of starting out. Thank God they took Carla Emery along for the ride. (Even though she hadn't written the book until WAY after 1900). When I read the line "Mommy, hug! Daddy, hug!" from their toddler who was feeling the friction of their disputes I felt so bad for this little guy. He didn't ask for this crazy experiment! But...as I read on, I could see that there was such an enormous benefit in raising a child in this environment that it worked itself out. I don't think he was "damaged" in any sense of the word.
***SPOILER***
I found it hard to comprehend WHY they would conduct this experiment in the first place, other than getting a book contract. I mean, I can understand someone wanting to trade in today's troubles (and conveniences) for yesterday's "simplicity." What I can't understand is why they only did this for a year. My first thought when learning that after the year was over they went back to the normal everyday life of the 20th century was: "Why would you give up all they had learned and gained?" Yes, I would want indoor plumbing. An outhouse holds no charms for me. And yes, I would most definitely want to be able to use electricity for a washing machine and vacuum cleaner. Lighting can be managed but I'm not a fan of washing clothes by hand in water hauled up from a well or forever trying to sweep up dirt. But everything else: The animals, the garden, the friendships that blossomed between them and their neighbors as well as others in the community, their peace of mind and new ability to be in tune with nature's rhythms--How in God's name did they give all that up? One of his comments at the end was of his neighbor saying that with them gone, "Things aren't the same." I grieved for that neighbor. And I grieved for them. It was an extremely hard life, but it seems that if they could have allowed electricity and water, they could have maintained so much of the good stuff they discovered at the farm. And that would be worth any other modern conveniences in my opinion.
In the end, even though I didn't agree with their choice...I can admit that each of us has to follow our own path and do what we think is best for our family. The story as a whole was well written and he had me totally immersed in their lives. For that, I'll get over my disappointment and give it four stars.
July 11, 2017
Learn what it's like to live like people did in the past and without actually having to give up electricity, running water, heat, modern medicine and grocery stores. Recommended for fans of PBS/BBC historical reality TV shows such as Frontier House and Victorian Slum House.
March 3, 2017
local setting in Augusta County, a couple lives on a farm without plumping or electricity for a year
April 20, 2010
Highly highly highly recommend. I would not ordinarily have picked up this book, but my boss (a former English major and fellow bibliophile), brought it in for me because he read it and loved it and thought I might enjoy it as well. He was correct. The premise peaked my interest, the author's writing kept me attentive, and before I knew it I couldn't put it down!
There are things Logan and Heather (his wife) did that I wouldn't even have thought of - like hmm, using a porta-potty, but having enough mulch to put in the porta-potty so it doesn't smell. Or making sure there are enough matches in different places in the house to light the oil lanterns in the morning when it's still dark - or how they even wake up at a certain time because there were no alarms clocks. Or making sure they guy who brings the feed for the animals comes monthly because the only way they can get in touch with him is through the mail (no phones).
Besides all the obstacles they come across in this story (for instance, learning to drive a wagon with a quarter horse, and how to make three meals a day seven days a week on a wood burning stove), there was a lot more depth and humbleness than I was expecting. I tagged a few different passages because I was just blown away at the lesson in the middle of their experience.
"Just as I'm feeling more in control, I'm also learning to admit that I'm powerless over some things...Sure, the worst that can happen to us pales in comparison to the worst that could have happened to a farm family 100 years ago. They were stuck in 1900. We're not. But I'm not convinced our situation's all that different. Everyone faces uncertainty. At some point, you've got to let life run its course, surrendering control in the face of overwhelming events." (Pg. 110)
I kept having to remind myself that this was a memoir, not a novel. I was truly touched by this story, and there were times that I wanted to do the same thing Logan and Heather did - because of the perspective they have about life now and the memories they created with this experience. The community they found in Swoope (right near where my sister goes to college - how cool is that?), was almost breathaking to read about sometimes. This book hugged my heart - just thinking about it makes me smile.
I'm going to leave you with another line I tagged from the book - something so simple, yet powerful, and a good summation of their year in 1900. "By respecting the past, we can live a more meaningful present - and future." (Pg. 229)
There are things Logan and Heather (his wife) did that I wouldn't even have thought of - like hmm, using a porta-potty, but having enough mulch to put in the porta-potty so it doesn't smell. Or making sure there are enough matches in different places in the house to light the oil lanterns in the morning when it's still dark - or how they even wake up at a certain time because there were no alarms clocks. Or making sure they guy who brings the feed for the animals comes monthly because the only way they can get in touch with him is through the mail (no phones).
Besides all the obstacles they come across in this story (for instance, learning to drive a wagon with a quarter horse, and how to make three meals a day seven days a week on a wood burning stove), there was a lot more depth and humbleness than I was expecting. I tagged a few different passages because I was just blown away at the lesson in the middle of their experience.
"Just as I'm feeling more in control, I'm also learning to admit that I'm powerless over some things...Sure, the worst that can happen to us pales in comparison to the worst that could have happened to a farm family 100 years ago. They were stuck in 1900. We're not. But I'm not convinced our situation's all that different. Everyone faces uncertainty. At some point, you've got to let life run its course, surrendering control in the face of overwhelming events." (Pg. 110)
I kept having to remind myself that this was a memoir, not a novel. I was truly touched by this story, and there were times that I wanted to do the same thing Logan and Heather did - because of the perspective they have about life now and the memories they created with this experience. The community they found in Swoope (right near where my sister goes to college - how cool is that?), was almost breathaking to read about sometimes. This book hugged my heart - just thinking about it makes me smile.
I'm going to leave you with another line I tagged from the book - something so simple, yet powerful, and a good summation of their year in 1900. "By respecting the past, we can live a more meaningful present - and future." (Pg. 229)
October 6, 2008
Have you ever felt so stressed out that you wished for simpler times? That’s exactly how Logan and Heather Ward felt. They were living in New York with their baby - Logan was a writer and Heather worked for a justice-reform think tank. They felt like they worked all the time, but were so stressed they never had time to enjoy anything. They decided to embark on a year long experiment and live like Americans did in 1900.
They decided that “If it didn’t exist in 1900, we will do without. And that means we’re not going to have e-mail, phone, computer, credit cards, utility bills, or car insurance.”
The Wards sold their apartment in New York and bought a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They had the electricity and water cut off and installed an outhouse and a wood cookstove. They bought goats for milk, a horse for transportation and seeds to plant. They did keep a phone in case of emergency, but kept it unplugged.
See You in A Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America is Logan Ward’s account of their year. It is published by BenBella Books. Logan is brutally honest in his account. At the beginning things were very difficult and the relationship between Logan and Heather was strained. As the year progressed, they became more confident and more adept at the challenges they faced. The Wards made a lot of friends and developed a real sense of community.
Neighbors came to tell the Wards about the attack on the World Trade Center and Logan’s reaction was “Over the past few months, I have been calmed by the lack of twenty-first-century distractions and humbled by the power of nature. Like the weather, the terrorist attacks were beyond my control. All I can do is cling to the simple assurance of daily chores.”
This is a fascinating, well written book and I thorougly enjoyed it. It certainly gave me some things to think about. I found this article about their experiment. In it, Logan said the five things they missed the most were the kitchen sink, washing machine, music, a good pencil sharpener and sandals. The five things they didn’t miss at all were the refrigerator, television, telephone, daily news and processed food. Somehow, I think my lists would be different.
They decided that “If it didn’t exist in 1900, we will do without. And that means we’re not going to have e-mail, phone, computer, credit cards, utility bills, or car insurance.”
The Wards sold their apartment in New York and bought a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They had the electricity and water cut off and installed an outhouse and a wood cookstove. They bought goats for milk, a horse for transportation and seeds to plant. They did keep a phone in case of emergency, but kept it unplugged.
See You in A Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America is Logan Ward’s account of their year. It is published by BenBella Books. Logan is brutally honest in his account. At the beginning things were very difficult and the relationship between Logan and Heather was strained. As the year progressed, they became more confident and more adept at the challenges they faced. The Wards made a lot of friends and developed a real sense of community.
Neighbors came to tell the Wards about the attack on the World Trade Center and Logan’s reaction was “Over the past few months, I have been calmed by the lack of twenty-first-century distractions and humbled by the power of nature. Like the weather, the terrorist attacks were beyond my control. All I can do is cling to the simple assurance of daily chores.”
This is a fascinating, well written book and I thorougly enjoyed it. It certainly gave me some things to think about. I found this article about their experiment. In it, Logan said the five things they missed the most were the kitchen sink, washing machine, music, a good pencil sharpener and sandals. The five things they didn’t miss at all were the refrigerator, television, telephone, daily news and processed food. Somehow, I think my lists would be different.
August 10, 2009
My cell phone battery just died, and it made better financial sense to buy a new phone than to replace the battery. Of course, my new phone came with a whole slew of new techno bells and whistles, and being a techno-tard, it was just a matter of minutes before I wanted to hurl my phone out the window. I can’t figure these things out.
You can imagine then, that a good ‘drop out’ book would be the perfect thing for me to read this year. And I found it in Logan Ward’s See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America.
Ward, his wife Heather, and their 2-year-old son, Luther live a harried life in Brooklyn, with 2 full-time jobs and full-time daycare limiting their family time. It was Ward’s computer crashing, and the hideous panic he experienced that made him realize that the 21st century was getting the better of him. He was inspired to travel back to 1900 to see if he could live the simple life. And Heather goes along with it.
They find a farm in Swoope, Virginia, and go about preparing to live in the olden days: installing a manual water pump, cutting off the electricity, shipping in lots of wood, and finding century-appropriate tools. The rules they set for themselves are strict: if it didn’t exist in 1900 they couldn’t use it (though if the label said ‘Since 1897,’ they could drink that beer). So that meant cancelling their health insurance, not using the phone, etc. They picked a starting date, and when they woke up that morning, they went at it.
They did great. They grew their own food, cooked on the wood stove, raised their own animals. But it was a steep learning curve. What’s good about this book is that there’s no preaching. You see the good, the bad, and the really pathetic. The bickering between them as they struggle to figure everything out. The carpal tunnel from milking the goats. Learning to ride and not be afraid of the 2,000 lb. horse.
This was a really fun, sweet and adventurous story. What’s really great about it is how their neighbors, intrigued by their project, act like a 1900 community and share their skills, and in many ways, the mission with the couple. Great reading for those days when technology gets you down.
You can imagine then, that a good ‘drop out’ book would be the perfect thing for me to read this year. And I found it in Logan Ward’s See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America.
Ward, his wife Heather, and their 2-year-old son, Luther live a harried life in Brooklyn, with 2 full-time jobs and full-time daycare limiting their family time. It was Ward’s computer crashing, and the hideous panic he experienced that made him realize that the 21st century was getting the better of him. He was inspired to travel back to 1900 to see if he could live the simple life. And Heather goes along with it.
They find a farm in Swoope, Virginia, and go about preparing to live in the olden days: installing a manual water pump, cutting off the electricity, shipping in lots of wood, and finding century-appropriate tools. The rules they set for themselves are strict: if it didn’t exist in 1900 they couldn’t use it (though if the label said ‘Since 1897,’ they could drink that beer). So that meant cancelling their health insurance, not using the phone, etc. They picked a starting date, and when they woke up that morning, they went at it.
They did great. They grew their own food, cooked on the wood stove, raised their own animals. But it was a steep learning curve. What’s good about this book is that there’s no preaching. You see the good, the bad, and the really pathetic. The bickering between them as they struggle to figure everything out. The carpal tunnel from milking the goats. Learning to ride and not be afraid of the 2,000 lb. horse.
This was a really fun, sweet and adventurous story. What’s really great about it is how their neighbors, intrigued by their project, act like a 1900 community and share their skills, and in many ways, the mission with the couple. Great reading for those days when technology gets you down.
October 4, 2010
I loved the aspect of simplifying life that this family tried to achieve. Simplifying is something I think about a lot, not that I would ever attempt what this family did, but there is an aspect of being connected to the land and the basic necessities of life that was very appealing.
In the beginning of their year in 1900, everything focused on food...growing the food, harvesting the food, preserving the food...it was all consuming. I really enjoyed reading about their Thanksgiving and how they realized the significance of being truly thankful for their harvest.
They also grew to understand the meaning of community and how much that was missing from their modern life. They learned that the way they chose to do things on their farm would affect their neighbors in very serious ways, something that we might not always consider today.
They came to realize that they couldn't fully remove themselve from the influences of modern life, and that there are many, many advantages to living in the modern world (indoor plumbing and modern medicine are two that pop into my head as very important to me!) After their one year experiment was over, they ended up returning to life in the 21st century, although they didn't return to big city life in New York City. They stayed in a smaller town in Virginia and took advantage of the slower pace of life while still enjoying modern comforts.
As much as we may sometimes long for the "good old days", I feel very fortunate to live now and to have access the multitude of luxuries I'm surrounded with. I'm also grateful that I live in a semi-rural, smaller town, where I can see the stars, smell the clean air, taste clean water, see wildlife and farm animals, enjoy beautiful views of water and mountains, and not sit in traffic for more than a few minutes during ferry commuter hours!
Note: there was quite a bit of "strong language".
In the beginning of their year in 1900, everything focused on food...growing the food, harvesting the food, preserving the food...it was all consuming. I really enjoyed reading about their Thanksgiving and how they realized the significance of being truly thankful for their harvest.
They also grew to understand the meaning of community and how much that was missing from their modern life. They learned that the way they chose to do things on their farm would affect their neighbors in very serious ways, something that we might not always consider today.
They came to realize that they couldn't fully remove themselve from the influences of modern life, and that there are many, many advantages to living in the modern world (indoor plumbing and modern medicine are two that pop into my head as very important to me!) After their one year experiment was over, they ended up returning to life in the 21st century, although they didn't return to big city life in New York City. They stayed in a smaller town in Virginia and took advantage of the slower pace of life while still enjoying modern comforts.
As much as we may sometimes long for the "good old days", I feel very fortunate to live now and to have access the multitude of luxuries I'm surrounded with. I'm also grateful that I live in a semi-rural, smaller town, where I can see the stars, smell the clean air, taste clean water, see wildlife and farm animals, enjoy beautiful views of water and mountains, and not sit in traffic for more than a few minutes during ferry commuter hours!
Note: there was quite a bit of "strong language".
September 7, 2015
This book was on my TBR list for a long time and I just couldn't find it or when I did I sent it to the bottom of my pile, returning it before even starting.
I made a deal with myself this summer that I could only choose books from my (extensive doesn't even begin to cover it) TBR list when I went to the library and one book of choice had to be a nonfiction selection. This was my first from those parameters.
Though I'm glad to have finally checked this off my list, I must say there were situations at the beginning of the book that led me to consider not completing it at all. Then I reconsidered...wouldn't it be like the one that got away? I'd spent so much time with this one book following me from place to place that I had to finish it simply for the sense of accomplishment!
As I have often found, I enjoy books where people chose to put themselves up to some kind of challenge, documenting their experiences along the way.
Mr. Ward did not paint himself in the kindest light multiple instances in the book and though I did have a difficult time with his anger in certain situations I was still intrigued enough to see his experiment through.
The cast of characters, the setting (just hours from where I live), the references to Joel Salatin and Polyface farm and best of all the idea that a family could make a living in this century with only what existed during the last century made the story compelling and worth reading from many different angles.
I made a deal with myself this summer that I could only choose books from my (extensive doesn't even begin to cover it) TBR list when I went to the library and one book of choice had to be a nonfiction selection. This was my first from those parameters.
Though I'm glad to have finally checked this off my list, I must say there were situations at the beginning of the book that led me to consider not completing it at all. Then I reconsidered...wouldn't it be like the one that got away? I'd spent so much time with this one book following me from place to place that I had to finish it simply for the sense of accomplishment!
As I have often found, I enjoy books where people chose to put themselves up to some kind of challenge, documenting their experiences along the way.
Mr. Ward did not paint himself in the kindest light multiple instances in the book and though I did have a difficult time with his anger in certain situations I was still intrigued enough to see his experiment through.
The cast of characters, the setting (just hours from where I live), the references to Joel Salatin and Polyface farm and best of all the idea that a family could make a living in this century with only what existed during the last century made the story compelling and worth reading from many different angles.
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