Review: Drawn to the Land

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming by Elizabeth & Barton Cockey

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Synopsis:

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming takes readers on a spellbinding tour of upstate New York and its farming community. A follow-up to Upstate New York: Towns That We Love, this volume focuses on the men and women who feel the enduring pull of the land. From beekeeping to winemaking, the book tells the story of the dedication and passion that mark every sustainable New York homestead. The reader learns about raising chickens, building silos, and growing potatoes from conversations with the people who remain devoted to the natural world in an increasingly urban age. Alongside Barton s descriptions of animals, farm stands, and fresh ice cream are Elizabeth s oil paintings, which burst from the page with the love and admiration of an artist revisiting the place she was raised. Rural upstate New York is a one-of-a-kind locale, and Drawn to the Land celebrates its unique culture, conveying the richness of both its soil and its traditions.

Thoughts:

Drawn to the Land looks like a story book when you pick it up, with the rich colors and paintings you might expect in a children's book, but it's a lot more than that. Elizabeth & Barton Cockey have done a wonderful job with this book that will adorn many coffee tables because of it's beauty and it's stories of the farmland of upstate New York. This is the second book this husband and wife duo have done that takes them back to their roots and childhood.

Elizabeth's oil paintings show the great love she has for her home state, with vibrancy and joy. The paintings really make Barton's stories come alive. He talks of many things that have always interested me like winemaking and and the fresh fruit and vegetable stands, homemade ice cream and the forgotten machinery of the nineteenth century.

When I first got this book I was sure it was going to be something different and I was really pleased that it turned out to be a really enjoyable book about upstate New York, which is a wonderful area of the country. I was sold on it immediately. It is a quick read that gives a lot of focus to the paintings which are just beautiful.

Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag.

Here is additional information about Elizabeth & Barton Cockey.

Elizabeth and Barton Cockey live in Maryland and love to visit upstate New York, where they enjoy antiquing, painting, and sightseeing. Barton is a diagnostic radiologist who earned his medical degrees at Johns Hopkins University. He practices medicine for the Advanced Radiology group in Baltimore. Elizabeth holds degrees in art and psychology, as well as a master s in art therapy. She works at several nursing facilities, including Good Samaritan Hospital s Nursing Center in Baltimore. The couple s first book together, Upstate New York: Towns That We Love, chronicled the history and beauty of six towns in the region.