Deeply Rooted Evaluation

Maddie Morris

Professor Santos

English 102-016

28 November 2017

Deeply Rooted: A Long But Informative Read

The profiles that Lisa M. Hamilton details in her book, Deeply Rooted, are of some of the last standing, small farms that are family owned, and the contrast between those of the “agribusiness.” Her farm-conscious novel is generalized well in another review by Deborah Adams, on “curledup.com,” who says that, “Hamilton contrasts the spirit-infused farming of these families with the big-business method of mechanization using subtle strokes and powerful images.” This earnest statement is no over-exaggeration, as Hamilton masterfully crafts the settings around the people in her chapters into a picturesque image you can easily visualize in your mind.

Unfortunately, the descriptive nature of the book, with the little dialogue it has, is also a bit of a drawback. The picture-painting Hamilton does can enchant you away to another place in the United States where your eyes see only fields and cows, but some long-windedness does exist. Without the divergence of much dialogue that usually leads to faster-paced reading, you can easily start feeling the dragging begin in the middle of chapters and your attention start to lessen. Although I do find some faults with Hamilton’s writing style, I did enjoy most of my reading in Deeply Rooted, and can see how excellent her skills are. In the middle of the book, she places the antithesis to the family-owned farms. When she visits Lamoure County in North Dakota, it’s a stark difference from what she sees at Harry’s and Virgil’s farms, even saying, “the very nature of these commodity crops is to eliminate people from the rural landscape” (Hamilton 215). Essentially, she pulls no punches, and speaks what she honestly believes.

While this style of writing could definitely be read by most ages, even upper elementary school, I’m not sure it would be easy for those with shorter attention spans. There’s little “action,” so-to-speak, and much more world-building, and setting the stage for the farming perspective she’s about to feature. Therefore, it would probably be most effective being read by high schoolers at the youngest, who would be able to understand the importance and motivation behind writing about these small farms. Anyone much younger might not have the determination or will to make it completely through the book. The audience that could take away the most from this book, however, would be anyone wanting to get involved, or already involved, in farming. To make the best decisions, you should look at things from all perspectives and be well-rounded, and Deeply Rooted is certainly a good look into why being an “unconventional” farmer in the age of agribusiness might be a good thing.

Works Cited

Hamilton, Lisa M. Deeply rooted: Unconventional farmers in the age of agribusiness. Counterpoint, 2010.

Schulz-Elsing, Sharon E. Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com/deeplyrt.htm.