Fiction Pick of the Week: A Country Called Home

A Country Called Home by Kim Barnes 2008

A Country Called Home is a classic tale of paradise lost. Thomas Deracotte, a newly minted doctor, and his pregnant sweetheart, Helen, leave Connecticut in the early 1960s to start a rural practice and farm in Fife, Idaho. They dream of “grand adventures” far from the pressures of Helen’s wealthy, dysfunctional family, and the abusive history of Thomas’ past. Quickly smitten with the inhospitable wilderness, Thomas learns he has no patience for medicine and would prefer to live off the land than open his own practice. Enter Manny, a local boy, hired to help the newlyweds rebuild their dilapidated “paradise”. The threesome learns to survive together—a tent, a well stocked river, and acres of overgrown berries and dandelion grass.

But with the sudden and early birth of their daughter, something changes in the young couple. Helen finds the remote farm far more than she bargained for, longing for the privileged family and lifestyle she once disdained, while Thomas becomes increasingly entrenched in his fantasy, choosing instead to pull away from his wife and daughter. Helen easily falls back into the rebellious ways of her youth, finding any excuse to escape her home, becoming increasingly attracted to Manny whom she turns to for support in the growing absence of her husband. But their relationship has dire consequences for all involved, and after a tragic accident shocks the community, suspicion, anger, and regret saturate the family unit.

I really enjoyed this book. Barnes’ personal history with the geography of the area makes her bleak descriptions of the rugged landscape vivid and easy to envision. A Country Called Home is a real depiction of isolated living—nothing has been romanticized. The author strips away the illusions of “living simply” and paints a very real story, using very real characters. If you have read and enjoyed Monkey Beach, Saints at the River, or Saul and Patsy, you might also enjoy A Country Called Home.