The Desert And The Sown

Mary Hallock Foote's memoir, The Desert and the Sown was first released in 1902. The experiences the author had while residing in the American West in the late 1800s are chronicled in the book. After relocating from the East Coast to a small mining town in Idaho, Foote and her husband found it difficult to make ends meet and adjust to life in the hostile desert climate. Foote talks about the hardships of starting a family, bringing up kids, and surviving the loneliness and seclusion of frontier life. In addition, she discusses the intricate interactions that exist between the government, Native Americans, and settlers as well as the effects of industrialization on the environment. A remarkable time in American history is vividly and perceptively portrayed in The Desert and the Sown. “Once she got over me, I knew she would have enough friends. That was the situation we were in. The act of returning her letter to its original location and leaving it with him caused me the greatest pain.