Nathan Coulter, Wendell Berry s first book, was published in 1960 when he was twenty seven. In his first novel, the author presents his readers with their first introduction to what would become Berry s life s work, chronicling through fiction a place where the inhabitants of Port William form what is more than community, but rather a membership in interrelatedness, a spiritual community, united by duty and bonds of affection for one another and for the land upon which they make their livelihood.
When young Nathan loses his grandfather, Berry guides readers through the process of Nathan's grief, endearing the reader to the simple humanity through which Nathan views the world. Echoing Berry's own strongly held beliefs, Nathan tells us that his grandfather's life couldn't be divided from the days he'd spent at work in his fields. Berry has long been compared to Faulkner for his ability to erect entire communities in his fiction, and his heart and soul have always lived in Port William, Kentucky. In this eloquent novel about duty, community, and a sweeping love of the land, Berry gives readers a classic book that takes them to that storied place.
About the Author
WENDELL BERRY (August 5, 1934 August 31, 2026), was an essayist, novelist, and poet. During his life, he was honored with the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry, the John Hay Award of the Orion Society, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, among other distinctions. In 2010, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama, and in 2016, he was the recipient of the Ivan Sandrof Life Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle. Berry lived with his wife, Tanya Berry, on their farm in Henry County, Kentucky.