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Country Chronicle
1974: by Gladys Taber- Writing about her Connecticut farm house and its lovely surroundings.
220 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
8 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Gladys Taber
89 books132 followersA prolific author whose output includes plays, essays, memoirs and fiction, Gladys Taber (1899 – 1980) is perhaps best recalled for a series of books and columns about her life at Stillmeadow, a 17th-century farmhouse in Southbury, Connecticut.
Born Gladys Bagg on April 12, 1899 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was the middle child and only one to survive to adulthood. Her parents were Rufus Mather Bagg, who could trace his ancestry back to Cotton Mather, and the former Grace Sibyl Raybold. An older sister, Majel, had died at the age of six months while a younger brother Walter died at 15 months. During her childhood, she moved frequently as her father accepted various teaching posts until they finally settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gladys graduated from Appleton High School and enrolled at Wellesley College, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1920. She returned to her hometown and earned a master’s in 1921 from Lawrence College, where her father was on faculty. The following year, she married Frank Albion Taber, Jr., giving birth to their daughter on July 7, 1923.
Mrs. Taber taught English at Lawrence College, Randolph Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and at Columbia University, where she did postgraduate studies. She began her literary career with a play, Lady of the Moon (Penn), in 1928, and followed with a book of verse, Lyonesse (Bozart) in 1929. Taber won attention for her first humorous novel, Late Climbs the Sun (Coward, 1934). She went on to write several other novels and short story collections, including Tomorrow May Be Fair ( Coward, 1935), A Star to Steer By (Macrae, 1938) and This Is for Always (Macrae, 1938). In the late 1930s, Taber joined the staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal and began to contribute the column “Diary of Domesticity.”
By this time, she had separated from her husband and was living at Stillmeadow, a farmhouse built in 1690 in Southbury, Connecticut, sharing the house with Eleanor Sanford Mayer, a childhood friend who was often mistakenly identified as her sister. Beginning with Harvest at Stillmeadow (Little, Brown, 1940), Taber wrote a series of books about her simple life in New England that possessed homespun wisdom dolled out with earthy humor and an appreciation for the small things. She published more than 20 books related to Stillmeadow, including several cookbooks.
In 1959, she moved from Ladies’ Home Journal to Family Circle, contributing the “Butternut Wisdom” column until her retirement in 1967. In 1960, her companion, Eleanor, died and Taber decided to abandon life at Stillmeadow. Having spent some summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, she decided to relocate to the town of Orleans where she would live out the remainder of her days. While a resident of Orleans, Taber contributed “Still Cove Sketches” to the Cape Cod Oracle . Her final book, published posthumously, was Still Cove Journal (Lippincott, 1981).
Gladys Taber had divorced her husband in 1946 and he later passed away in October 1964. She died on March 11, 1980 in Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts at the age of 80.
Born Gladys Bagg on April 12, 1899 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was the middle child and only one to survive to adulthood. Her parents were Rufus Mather Bagg, who could trace his ancestry back to Cotton Mather, and the former Grace Sibyl Raybold. An older sister, Majel, had died at the age of six months while a younger brother Walter died at 15 months. During her childhood, she moved frequently as her father accepted various teaching posts until they finally settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gladys graduated from Appleton High School and enrolled at Wellesley College, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1920. She returned to her hometown and earned a master’s in 1921 from Lawrence College, where her father was on faculty. The following year, she married Frank Albion Taber, Jr., giving birth to their daughter on July 7, 1923.
Mrs. Taber taught English at Lawrence College, Randolph Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and at Columbia University, where she did postgraduate studies. She began her literary career with a play, Lady of the Moon (Penn), in 1928, and followed with a book of verse, Lyonesse (Bozart) in 1929. Taber won attention for her first humorous novel, Late Climbs the Sun (Coward, 1934). She went on to write several other novels and short story collections, including Tomorrow May Be Fair ( Coward, 1935), A Star to Steer By (Macrae, 1938) and This Is for Always (Macrae, 1938). In the late 1930s, Taber joined the staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal and began to contribute the column “Diary of Domesticity.”
By this time, she had separated from her husband and was living at Stillmeadow, a farmhouse built in 1690 in Southbury, Connecticut, sharing the house with Eleanor Sanford Mayer, a childhood friend who was often mistakenly identified as her sister. Beginning with Harvest at Stillmeadow (Little, Brown, 1940), Taber wrote a series of books about her simple life in New England that possessed homespun wisdom dolled out with earthy humor and an appreciation for the small things. She published more than 20 books related to Stillmeadow, including several cookbooks.
In 1959, she moved from Ladies’ Home Journal to Family Circle, contributing the “Butternut Wisdom” column until her retirement in 1967. In 1960, her companion, Eleanor, died and Taber decided to abandon life at Stillmeadow. Having spent some summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, she decided to relocate to the town of Orleans where she would live out the remainder of her days. While a resident of Orleans, Taber contributed “Still Cove Sketches” to the Cape Cod Oracle . Her final book, published posthumously, was Still Cove Journal (Lippincott, 1981).
Gladys Taber had divorced her husband in 1946 and he later passed away in October 1964. She died on March 11, 1980 in Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 12, 2023
“Autumn rains are often as fierce as the assault of a legendary dragon. The colored leaves fall like jewels from a broken necklace.”
My best buddy handed this down to me, and I couldn’t be more grateful. What a gem of a book. A memoir, and more.
Gladys Taber was a brilliant writer who applied her craft to writing about everyday life. I love this kind of book, but am often disappointed. So I spent a lot of time obsessing over what makes this one so very good?
Her skill of course, but I think the key is that she mixed it up. Like a good conversationalist, she didn’t spend too much time on any one topic. Nature, weather, restoring old houses, friendships, family, grandchildren, neighbors, recipes, wildlife, cats, dogs, education, technology. People who are interested in things are interesting, and Gladys Taber was very interesting!
She wrote beautifully--perhaps due to a lifetime of reading Keats. This example shows the way she wove deeper thoughts in with food, friends, and life in the seventeenth-century Connecticut farmhouse she restored and maintained:
“The Full Snow Moon is one of the loveliest; perhaps the crystalline air itself affects her. My friends Helen, Vicky, and Olive grow restless after supper and decide to walk in the moonlit woods, even if the temperature is zero. The shadows on the snow are like etchings, and the only sound is the occasional cracking of an icy branch. On such a night in the woods, they feel a strange link with the universe and a renewal of their own identity. When they come in, they bring the smell of snow and pine and damp wool, and it takes a little time before they are ready to get out the popcorn and melt the butter and poke the fire.
In this age of tenseness, we all need such times to renew our souls.”
This book is a balm to modern life. It’s broken down into four sections by seasons, and Taber found things to appreciate at every time of year. Reading it felt like sitting down to talk with my mom, not just because my mom was also a curious and observant person, but because it just felt so comforting.
I’m so glad there are more Gladys Taber books for me to savor. I can’t recommend this highly enough. I came away with inspiration, recipes, renewed calm, and more appreciation for each beautiful day we get to live in this world.
My best buddy handed this down to me, and I couldn’t be more grateful. What a gem of a book. A memoir, and more.
Gladys Taber was a brilliant writer who applied her craft to writing about everyday life. I love this kind of book, but am often disappointed. So I spent a lot of time obsessing over what makes this one so very good?
Her skill of course, but I think the key is that she mixed it up. Like a good conversationalist, she didn’t spend too much time on any one topic. Nature, weather, restoring old houses, friendships, family, grandchildren, neighbors, recipes, wildlife, cats, dogs, education, technology. People who are interested in things are interesting, and Gladys Taber was very interesting!
She wrote beautifully--perhaps due to a lifetime of reading Keats. This example shows the way she wove deeper thoughts in with food, friends, and life in the seventeenth-century Connecticut farmhouse she restored and maintained:
“The Full Snow Moon is one of the loveliest; perhaps the crystalline air itself affects her. My friends Helen, Vicky, and Olive grow restless after supper and decide to walk in the moonlit woods, even if the temperature is zero. The shadows on the snow are like etchings, and the only sound is the occasional cracking of an icy branch. On such a night in the woods, they feel a strange link with the universe and a renewal of their own identity. When they come in, they bring the smell of snow and pine and damp wool, and it takes a little time before they are ready to get out the popcorn and melt the butter and poke the fire.
In this age of tenseness, we all need such times to renew our souls.”
This book is a balm to modern life. It’s broken down into four sections by seasons, and Taber found things to appreciate at every time of year. Reading it felt like sitting down to talk with my mom, not just because my mom was also a curious and observant person, but because it just felt so comforting.
I’m so glad there are more Gladys Taber books for me to savor. I can’t recommend this highly enough. I came away with inspiration, recipes, renewed calm, and more appreciation for each beautiful day we get to live in this world.
December 11, 2023
4.5🌟🌟 This is my first Gladys Taber book and it didn’t disappoint. Reading her warm, down to earth and practical passages is like cozing up with your closest friend. The smallest details of life seem important and meaningful. I lover Gladys’ writing style and point of view. I loved this book and I can’t wait to read more. If you’re searching for words to bring you comfort, connection to nature and of lasting friendship, give this book a try. A sparkling gem of a book!
April 11, 2013
I give Gladys Taber 5 stars on this one, not because it is great literature, but because it is so satisfying to read. Nature observations are noted in a homey stream of conversation, meandering off into other subjects like pets, teenagers, world peace, neighborliness, cooking, conservation, or whatever else strikes her fancy. Gladys was a New York apartment dweller who moved to an old farmhouse in Connecticut to find some peace. She loves her life in the country and dubs her beloved homestead "Stillmeadow." I think the reason I like her so much is because she reminds me of my (deceased) Mother-in-law and sitting down to read Gladys Taber is second best to having a conversation with her! If you are after a gentle, eclectic, soothing read, pick up Gladys Taber. She has quite a following now and her used editions are snapped up quickly. Susan Branch has featured her in some of her work and I suspect that has added a lot to her popularity.
Read
August 7, 2010Lovely reading - a snapshot of bygone days. Were things ever really like this? I'd like to think so.
February 25, 2015
This book is slow paced and totally charming." 'Just what the doctor ordered." I dream of this life-style.
September 30, 2015
I really love the way reading this book makes me appreciate nature and people!
May 23, 2023
I love seasonal reading, this definitely will be a reread.
August 3, 2021
I heard about Gladys Taber in Susan Branch's book "Martha's Vineyard: Isle of Dreams." This was the only book of hers that my library had, though I've since bought two of her other books from eBay. (It seems that all of her books are out of print and some of them are very difficult to find and expensive!) It was such a cozy, comforting read! The particular copy I read was an old copy, with the kind of plastic library wrapper on it that I grew up with on my library books, and it had that perfect, musty, sweet old book smell, ha. So that just added to the experience.
It was just a cozy, rambling, comfortable book that revolves around the seasons. Lots of lovely nature descriptions and ramblings about feeding skunks, etc. Yes, I'm serious, and yes, it's so charming and pleasant. I fell in love with Stillmeadow! As someone who has read and watched a lot of old movies, books, etc. set in New England during this era, it had a homey feel for me, despite the fact that I've lived in Virginia my whole life and never even visited any further north. :)
I didn't know much about Gladys or her life before reading this, and I have more questions now. Definitely looking forward to reading more of her works.
It was just a cozy, rambling, comfortable book that revolves around the seasons. Lots of lovely nature descriptions and ramblings about feeding skunks, etc. Yes, I'm serious, and yes, it's so charming and pleasant. I fell in love with Stillmeadow! As someone who has read and watched a lot of old movies, books, etc. set in New England during this era, it had a homey feel for me, despite the fact that I've lived in Virginia my whole life and never even visited any further north. :)
I didn't know much about Gladys or her life before reading this, and I have more questions now. Definitely looking forward to reading more of her works.
December 4, 2017
I love anything by Gladys Taber. While her musings about politics and world affairs often seem quaint and dated now, her descriptions of her old home, the season, animal life, and Nature are timeless and beautiful and ageless.
January 22, 2026
I found Country Chronicle amongst the thousands of books crammed two rows deep on each of the shelves that line one long, high wall of a hallway located either in the Wysox Merchant Center, or the Wysox Vendor Mall in, surprise, surprise, the town of Wysox. I can never keep the two establishments straight in my head until I am actually inside one or the other.
I have such adventures with Stillmeadow books. It's been so many years now that I don't remember how I got hold of Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge, by Gladys Taber and Barbara Webster, but I do remember almost losing my copy. I had just donated a box of books to the local library, which operates a used bookstore in its back room, when I found I simply could not locate Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge anywhere in my home. I had been in the midst of reading it.
I called the library to see if I might have accidentally donated S & S along with my other books and a very disgruntled and impatient person at the other end of the line basically told me that if I had, too bad, so sad for me.
I continued my search at home, still couldn't find the book, and called the library again. This time the one male employee at the time--or ever, I think--a man who had always been very pleasant and helpful, answered the phone.
He must have trundled back to the library's bookstore and checked the shelves himself because, sure enough, he called me back to tell me I could come in and pick the book up. He didn't even charge me the $2 that the library normally charges for the books in its store.
I don't know if I ever knew his name, but I still think of him fondly and with gratitude. He has long since retired. He was at least my age, possibly older, so he may no longer be living.
All this says nothing about Country Chronicle, which was a good read overall. However, everyone ages differently, physically and, sadly, in other ways as well. Gladys Taber's prodigious talent for description suffers in this later work. And also I am disappointed that in this tome she displays a decided bent toward Conservatism, the kind with a capital C.
For example, she can't abide those horrid women's libbers, abandoning their homes for a career. Women might better concentrate on womanly things, leaving men to do manly things. She expresses this opinion (essentially; that's the gist) without a single shred of self reflection, she whose own career spanned much of the 20th century. It was with the income from this career that she--though undeniably a woman--supported herself and her child and paid the bills at Stillmeadow.
She died in 1980 just prior to the election or, based on a few opinions she let slip, I fear she'd have voted for Ronald Reagan. Had she still been living in 2016 she'd have been 117 years old and that was never going to happen but, oh horror of horrors, would she have voted for Donald Trump? I am so glad I will never know.
I may give her recipes for corn pudding and Mexican coffee a try. She includes instructions in the text. I made her recipe for orange delight the other night. It's a weird and messy dish but it was tasty and well received.
I have such adventures with Stillmeadow books. It's been so many years now that I don't remember how I got hold of Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge, by Gladys Taber and Barbara Webster, but I do remember almost losing my copy. I had just donated a box of books to the local library, which operates a used bookstore in its back room, when I found I simply could not locate Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge anywhere in my home. I had been in the midst of reading it.
I called the library to see if I might have accidentally donated S & S along with my other books and a very disgruntled and impatient person at the other end of the line basically told me that if I had, too bad, so sad for me.
I continued my search at home, still couldn't find the book, and called the library again. This time the one male employee at the time--or ever, I think--a man who had always been very pleasant and helpful, answered the phone.
He must have trundled back to the library's bookstore and checked the shelves himself because, sure enough, he called me back to tell me I could come in and pick the book up. He didn't even charge me the $2 that the library normally charges for the books in its store.
I don't know if I ever knew his name, but I still think of him fondly and with gratitude. He has long since retired. He was at least my age, possibly older, so he may no longer be living.
All this says nothing about Country Chronicle, which was a good read overall. However, everyone ages differently, physically and, sadly, in other ways as well. Gladys Taber's prodigious talent for description suffers in this later work. And also I am disappointed that in this tome she displays a decided bent toward Conservatism, the kind with a capital C.
For example, she can't abide those horrid women's libbers, abandoning their homes for a career. Women might better concentrate on womanly things, leaving men to do manly things. She expresses this opinion (essentially; that's the gist) without a single shred of self reflection, she whose own career spanned much of the 20th century. It was with the income from this career that she--though undeniably a woman--supported herself and her child and paid the bills at Stillmeadow.
She died in 1980 just prior to the election or, based on a few opinions she let slip, I fear she'd have voted for Ronald Reagan. Had she still been living in 2016 she'd have been 117 years old and that was never going to happen but, oh horror of horrors, would she have voted for Donald Trump? I am so glad I will never know.
I may give her recipes for corn pudding and Mexican coffee a try. She includes instructions in the text. I made her recipe for orange delight the other night. It's a weird and messy dish but it was tasty and well received.
March 1, 2020
I’ve been reading and enjoying Gladys Taber’s writings since I was a child. They always give me a fresh perspective. Country Chronicle is divided into 4 sections by the seasons. I read each section while I was actually in the season myself, so it took me a year to finish the book. I am sure I will read it again.
A quote from page 17: Measuring time, as I have said before, is an impossibility for me. Some days are years and some only a breath. But in the end, we did have Stillmeadow repaired and furnished with books and old pine and maple furniture—not to mention a garden full of vegetables. And later, at the time we lost our husbands, the city apartments were turned over to new tenants. Stillmeadow was our refuge, as we adjusted to our personal losses, and it was amazing how well the old farmhouse accepted bits and pieces from the two city apartments without seeming overcrowded.
A quote from page 17: Measuring time, as I have said before, is an impossibility for me. Some days are years and some only a breath. But in the end, we did have Stillmeadow repaired and furnished with books and old pine and maple furniture—not to mention a garden full of vegetables. And later, at the time we lost our husbands, the city apartments were turned over to new tenants. Stillmeadow was our refuge, as we adjusted to our personal losses, and it was amazing how well the old farmhouse accepted bits and pieces from the two city apartments without seeming overcrowded.
February 7, 2026
I have heard this is a Susan Branch recommendation so I had to read it. True to its title, this is a literary book about the seasons of New England. Divided by seasons, starting with winter, Gladys Taber journals tid-bits about her 1690s home in CT, intersperses seasonal recipes (this book was written in the 70s so imagine very simple foods), the joys of nature and family life. Reading this book was like sitting across from the author, with a slice of cake and hot coffee and talking about the simple pleasures of life. This is a different kind of book for sure, it’s not for everyone as it’s a sub genre of cozy, domestic, simple living, non-fiction.
January 19, 2023
I NEVER tire of reading Taber's wonderful essays that are still relevant years after she wrote them. I always learn new things from her and often nod with agreement. It's too bad many of her books are only found on the secondary market, as they are full of wisdom, warm the heart, and are timeless.
December 23, 2020
Our 13th Retirement Read Aloud
May 10, 2021
Absolutely delightful. Like sitting with your grandmother for a visit, you hear wisdom, a few recipes, and love.
March 22, 2023
Balm for the soul.
I think I loved Country Chronicle more than Still Cove Journal.
I must own my own copy
I think I loved Country Chronicle more than Still Cove Journal.
I must own my own copy
October 31, 2024
Reading Gladys Taber feels like curling up with a warm blanket and a mug of something good - always! I read her & I’m transported back to simpler times. It is always a treat.
November 7, 2025
"As long as you have a window, life is exciting." Reading this book feels like sipping a cup of tea while catching up with an old friend. Its seasonal reading at its best.
January 8, 2025
Gladys is an acquired taste and clearly from another era. She is also a breath of fresh air and a reminder of a simpler time of family and friends being your entertainment, and working with your hands and back a maj I r part of the day, recipes thrown in here and there were icing on the cake 9f nostalgia.
May 6, 2008
comfort re-reading after Dad died.
March 27, 2011
'
Very Good
Very Good
September 26, 2014
As usual I love visiting with Ms Taber.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews