Windbreak: A Woman Rancher on the Northern Plains

by Linda M. Hasselstrom

The author describes her experiences during the course of a year on her family's South Dakota ranch

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

233 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Linda M. Hasselstrom is an award-winning poet and writer of the High Plains whose work is rooted in the arid landscape of southwestern South Dakota. She writes, ranches, and conducts writing retreats on the South Dakota ranch homesteaded by her grandfather, a Swedish cobbler, in 1899.

Her website, www.windbreakhouse.com, provides details about her writing retreats, online consulting and her published poetry and nonfiction.

Contact her at info@windbreakhouse.com

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

A real eye-opener on what it's like to work a small cattle ranch in South Dakota. It is not a novel, it's a memoir of a single year. I can hardly believe people willingly devote their lives to such a crushing amount of work. She's an evocative and skilled writer, and takes us vividly along through her daily life. I was fascinated, but couldn't help thinking that the native americans did it smarter. Instead of trying to confine, fence in, and brand the animals they lived off of, they just moved across the land with them. Seems much more sensible, but I definitely left this book with a respect for ranching life.

[CindySR]

As you can imagine, cattle ranching is hell on both animals and people, especially in the winter. This is written as a true diary but it will hold your attention with all the descriptions of nature and her fury as well as a few family dynamics the author experienced. Lots of accidents, injuries, illness animal death and animal wonder. The author is also a poet and there are several poems between chapters.

If anyone is interested in reading a few excerpts I will transfer some for you here if asked.

[Marissa]

I loved, loved, loved this book! A real look at a disappearing culture... giving you a truly intimate understanding of everyday life on a traditional family ranch in the American West. Part diary, part naturalist musings, part ethnography, part historical record... I would highly recommend this to anyone with a love of or desire to know the near-contemporary American West and women's experience of it!

[Rebecca]

Hasselstrom’s 1-year journal gives a keen, personal glimpse into the daily trials, challenges, and joys of modern ranching. Having lived on a ranch as a child, I related to both the hard work and the beauty of the land, recognizing that they work together in tandem to create an appreciation of the earth that can’t be earned in any other way. Highly recommend.

[Loren Shultz]

Loved it. Grew up on a dairy farm, not a ranch, but identified in so many ways. So skillfully written I began to get depressed during the descriptions of winter.

[Nicole Batey]

Very inspiring read. Nothing huge happens like in the new age biographies, but it's interesting to read and understand what an everyday rancher experiences.

[Keira]

Took me a while to finish this one. Very slow. Cool perspective though, it was interesting and poetic at parts but not a page turner.

[Marcia]

This journal of a year in the life of the author left me feeling amazed at the strength of ranchers in the Great Plains. I am very glad I had the chance to meet the author and hear her speak first hand of her experiences. I would never have known of this book had I not. Their daily struggle with nature can only be handled by a certain type of people and I pray that they continue to be part of the fabric of this country or we will all be affected.

[Kmaxham]

Good book. Interesting to learn how different farming (sorry, "ranching") is in the west. Strengthens my discomfort with eating beef and--at the same time--my respect for family-run operations. It's a hard life. Too hard for my taste, for sure!

[Diana]

The diary of a modern day ranching woman in South Dakota...It had potential initially, but the day to day descriptions of calves being born, dying, cows becoming ill, or stuck in various places--it just all wore me down.

[Grandma]

Depressing! Reading it in February in Minnesota may have influenced me.

[Theresa]

Excellent book. Very inspiring.