Louis Bromfield was one of America’s bestselling, critically acclaimed authors in the 1920s and ‘30s. He was bigger than Hemingway (who resented Bromfield’s success) and his stories captured the feel of American and expatriate life. With The Planter of Modern Life, Stephen Heyman isn’t trying to revive Bromfield’s literary reputation but acknowledge his pioneering role in organic farming and environmentalism. After returning to Ohio from a long French sojourn, Bromfield established an experimental farm and wrote of the need for a “healthier, more sustainable food system.” During the postwar rush to embrace factory farming, agrobusiness and fast food, his nonfiction was read but acted on only by a few. Heyman does good work illuminating an underexplored but vital aspect of last-century American culture. The roots of the environmental movement go deeper than most of us know.
To read more book reviews, click here.
To read more articles by David Luhrssen, click here.
