The Planter of Modern Life: How an Ohio Farm Boy Conquered Literary Paris, Fed the Lost Generation, and Sowed the Seeds of the Organic Food Movement [Paperback]

Winner of the 2021 IACP Award for Literary or Historical Food Writing Heyman applies keen narrative skills to tell the story of Bromfields celebrity-studded lifetwo lives, reallyas an author and farmer. The result is a rattling good yarn. Inspirational...Bromfields original insight was seeing the crucial importance of soil health before science really understood why this matters, or how to build it. Mesmerizing. Abounding in wit, insight, elegance, and narrative talent, This is more than a sparkling biography; its a botanical adventure story of a full, plant-based bohemian life, following the journey of a modern Johnny Appleseed from Ohio to World War I France to Hollywood to our dinner plates. The astounding tale of Louis Bromfield, a rare and accomplished figure who has vanished from collective memory, despite his importance to issues ranging from organic food to the ephemeral nature of fame. An engaging and fascinating book on many levels. If Stephen Heyman had written Louis Bromfields life as a novel, readers would have found the tale too tall to believe. A brilliant, engaging read about the life of a literary icon and, until now, unrecognized founder of the organic movement. I couldnt put this book down. In this wonderful biography, Stephen Heyman pulls the curtain back so those of us who practically idolized this bigger-than-life soil spokesman can finally understand the complicated man behind the legend. Heyman turns the story of this novelist, screenwriter, nonfiction author, and pioneering farmer into an utterly engrossing account of both his life and his times&[ In this delightful and exhilarating page-turner&Heyman does an impressive job of combining all of Bromfields interests into a cohesive narrative that captivates as both intriguing history and a significant look at early environmentalism. US