Summary: A collection of short stories about the Port William membership not part of the longer novels.

If you’ve read a number of the fictional short stories of Wendell Berry, it is likely that you have encountered some of the stories in this collection. Stories from three earlier publications are represented here, although some differ slightly in the telling: The Wild Birds, Fidelity, and Watch with Me. I didn’t mind, though. It was delightful to revisit the courtship of Ptolemy Proudfoot and Minnie Quinch, to chuckle when the temperate Minnie determines to “dispose” of the half-pint of Old Darling Ptolemy had bought for lambing, or feel a sense of vindication when Ptolemy reveals he is far from the country bumpkin and gets the last laugh in “The Lost Bet.”

Two of the stories from Fidelity were a particular joy, both involving the lawyer Wheeler Catlett, who worked as hard to preserve the membership as any in Port William. The title work, “That Distant Land” conveys the bittersweet reflections also found in “The Wild Birds” at the losses to modernity Port William has suffered but also his dawning realization that the illegitimate son of Burley Coulter, who Burley wants to inherit his land is also part of that membership, not only by birth but through his care of the land in the company of Burley and others of the membership. “Fidelity,” I think is simply one of the greatest pieces of short story fiction. Danny “rescues” (or kidnaps, in the eyes of the law) Burley from the hospital where he is being kept alive on life support which is merely prolonging his dying at great expense. This was before the hospice movement, and the recognition of how providing a dignified dying in a familiar place is indeed fidelity to the dying. The beauty of what Danny does (not euthanasia but simply allowing Burley a natural death) and the way the membership stands together to protect him from the legal ramifications is both consummate storytelling and thought provoking.

There were several stories I hadn’t read before that I savored. “Making It Home” tells the story of Art Rowanberry’s military service, his recovery from the physical wounds and the mental ones that remain, as he walks home through countryside once again familiar, making it in time for dinner. “The Discovery of Kentucky” is one of those wisdom tales that shows how pompous pretensions can go sideways at the inaugural parade when a float to commemorate Kentucky is manned by Burley and his friends, when best-laid plans go awry and when the float sponsor totally fails to realize how the sign he has posted will be read in light of everything else. “The Inheritors,” which closes out the collection describes one of the final encounters between Wheeler Catlett and Danny Branch. Wheeler, who is slowly failing of body and mind, persuades Danny to drive him to a stock sale and then subjects Danny to a hair-raising drive home on the wrong side of the Interstate. Through it all, one senses an intimacy between the two, a passing of the baton and a blessing as Wheeler comes to the point of relinquishing his membership as Danny fully takes it up.

This is a fantastic collection of 23 of Berry’s Port William short stories, the best thing to read if you haven’t read any of the other works represented here. The arrangement of the stories is chronological and tells the story of a community over nearly a hundred year period. The book also includes a detailed map of Port William and a family tree of the Beechum, Feltner, and Coulter family lines. This is a great accompaniment to the Port William novels, which are indicated chronologically in the table of contents. All told, this work is one more reminder of the great contribution Mr. Berry has made to American literature. ( )

For both "A Consent" and "Down in the Valley,"
That Distant Land earns a full 5 stars.

For the unfortunate emphasis on animal killing - with the loathsome hog butchering
and the never-ending hunting - it rates a zero.

As well, Berry seems to have little deep connection with his pets or the ones in the wild.

Fascinating details abound! ( )

Wendell Berry’s fiction is set in Port William, Kentucky, a rural community on the Ohio River. Each book includes a map and a family tree, and his novels typically focus on one person or family in that tree. That Distant Land is a collection of short stories featuring some familiar faces, like the Feltner, Coulter, and Catlett families, as well as some new names. The stories take place over a century, from 1888 to 1986, with the overarching theme being the changes in agricultural and rural life (not always for the better). Given the 100-year span, readers also have to say good-bye to much-loved members of Port William; each of their stories is told in a manner both poignant and fitting to the character. These were my favorites in the collection, but every story is well told and Berry’s writing makes me feel peaceful and centered, which is definitely welcome these days. ( )

It is possible this is not my all-time favorite collection of short stories. But if it's not, then it's certainly close enough to be standing on its toes. On several occasions, tears came to my eyes while reading, not from a particular scene's sadness, but from the sheer beauty of the depth of humanity revealed. I've tried to describe this book to others, citing the fictional Port William location somewhat reminiscent of the old TV show, "The Waltons", but that comparison fails miserably to avoid the sentimentality of the TV show while still far exceeding the depth of human thoughts, feelings, and interactions that allow the reader to savor it so fully. The author has written a number of works centered on his Port William community, and I had previously read, with great satisfaction one of his novels, Jayber Crow, so I was concerned that a collection of short stories would seem too disjointed. Quite to the contrary, the collection proved that it could easily have stood together as a novel, presenting its characters over time, had it been written as such. Each story stands very well on its own, but the collection gives added depth to each of the others. Very, very highly recommended. ( )

I listened to the audiobook, although I also reread several stories in print. This collection portrays several generations of families living and working around the fictitious town of Port William, Kentucky, which is supposedly about an hour or two by car from Louisville. These are white, Christian people, but, although the stories dramatize human feelings and emphasize values, this is not what one would usually label as Christian fiction. The stories span the period from 1888 to 2000, and are sufficiently interlinked that you can almost imagine this as a novel. It's a great pleasure to read or listen to Wendell Berry's prose, which is often near-poetry.

There are lots of different characters and places talked about, and it can be a bit frustrating to keep them straight. If you look under Port William in the wikipedia, you'll find a link to wendellberrybooks.com, from which both items can be viewed and downloaded. I checked the hardcover edition (by Shoemaker, Hoard, publishers) out of the library, where these items were first published.

The reader, Michael Kramer, is very clear, a bit slow, but I found it gave me time to reflect on the words. He reads with a kind of soft Southern drawl, which is not really how people living in north-central Kentucky speak, but, for most of us, it is probably easier to listen to than the authentic dialect of tobacco country. ( )