A Handmade Wilderness: A Funny and Moving Saga―Two Men Transforming Mississippi Backwoods Over Twenty-Five Years

by Donald G. Schueler

In 1968 two gay young men - one white, one black - quixotically decided to buy eighty backwoods acres in southern Mississippi, little realizing that they were embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives. Don Schueler's account of the twenty-five years that followed, during which he and Willie Brown transformed their "least worst land" into a wild Eden, is a modern saga by turns suspenseful, very funny, and deeply moving.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 1996

Reviews

[Judith Shelton]

A story to build hope.

A story to make you laugh, cry, and believe that dreams can come true.
An interracial, gay ,male couple, buys a used up, worn out farm in rural Mississippi in the 1960's ! If that's not enough, they plan to turn the land into a private return to nature retreat. This does not fit in well with the locals who have been using the absentee owners land for illegal hunting and the running of moonshine still.
Through hard, back breaking work, mistakes...lots of mistakes , time and effort pays off. The weekend 'farm owner's ' heal the land, make wildlife a safe and healthy place to return ,as well as a create a beautiful peaceful retreat.
A wonderful book full of many stories, much love, laughter, and joy, as well as so sorrow.
A book that shows dreams can come true.

[Elliot]

enjoyable read; mostly a diary of buying and immersing in the care of a big parcel of rather abused and neglected land in the deep south - restoring it; building a home; withstanding a hurricane
would give it 3.5

lots of little natural delights that he discovers and cultivates - along with his partner over 20 years on the land - mostly weekends as they have "day jobs" around New Orleans. Discovering different animals is probably my favorite - and the totemic gopher tortoise plays a big role; but so too the armadillo; and even the horses they buy

some colorful backwoods neighbors are befriended and described well - though not deeply

[Barbara Richardson]

This is a favorite book, one I reread every few years when I need loving inspiration. The bravery, humor, and determination of this couple and their two dogs to find, rescue, and help transform cut-over land continue to wow me, every time. Schueler's writing is pitch perfect. Deeply felt and nothing flashy. He has written a love letter to the Earth. In all its Mississippi particularity.

[Rachel Buell]

a beautiful inspiring complex story. loved it

[Theresa]

I really enjoyed this straightforward account of these two guys reclaiming a tract of land and turning it into an ecologically fit and beautiful place. What is even more touching is the transformation of their lives in the process. If you have ever wrestled with Mother Nature by trying to reclaim even a little piece of neglected land, you can feel the test of endurance that Don feels, and the outrageous pleasure of seeing the result of such incredibly hard work. "Simplify, simplify, Thoreau had said, and so we did, not through any conscious intent, but because the day after day routines of a secluded country life dictated that we should."

[NOLaBookish aka blue-collared mind]

My friend Marilyn had this book on her shelf when she and partner Anna Maria graciously let me stay at their house.

I started to read this there, and then put I back on the shelf, determining to find afterwards.
I bought it for a penny online, and finished it and am about to hand over to Iron Rail.

Charming, detailed account of this couple's work to reclaim a piece of Mississippi over the last 30 years, resulting in a Nature's Conservancy donation for the existence of the Willie Farrell Brown Nature Reserve.

[Steven McKay]

This book really touched me in numerous levels. The interracial gay couple in rural 1960s Mississippi was a fascinating aspect. The emphasis of the book really is the men's love for the land and their efforts to restore some of its historic biological integrity. I have fiven this book to several friends and I reread it aboutonce a decade.

[Emily]

Beautiful book about an interracial gay couple who buy 80 acres of the "least worst" land they can find in rural Mississippi in the 1960s and their efforts over the next couple of decades to restore it to its natural state, with a few run-ins with moonshiner neighbors along the way.

[Clare]

I liked reading this true tale of two friends who decide to buy and restore a piece of wilderness land.