Thomas Rice, now a professor who graduated from an Ivy League university shares in Far From The Land how he started out on an impoverished rocky farm in Ballinvalley, Ireland.
His father was an irresponsible alcoholic who he never really knew. He later developed a deep friendship with his mentor Davy “the horse whisperer” who became like a father to him.
Thomas J. Rice Becomes the Man of the House on His Farm in Ireland
Being the only boy, Rice took over as the responsible man of the house very young and helped his mother work the land while going to school. Eventually, he left grade school because the Irish schoolmaster was also a hard drinker who basically used Thomas Rice as a teacher and babysitter.
They had no electricity or machinery to assist with the farming, which made the work much harder than it is today. Since they were hands on farmers, they bonded more with their animals. There are a few good tales in Far From The Land about close calls with horses and a pet dog that helped protect and save Tom as a child.
Thomas J. Rice Tells How Maggie O’Toole Held the Family Together in Ireland
Maggie O’Toole was his tenacious Irish mother who raised her six children single handedly in the 50s. She wasn’t physically affectionate, but she was strong, had high expectations and bonded deeply with her children
Tom’s mother had been in jail as a youth for rebelling against the English and working for the Irish Resistance. This may have contributed to her poor choice in a husband, but it also made her prepared to handle just about anything. Running a boarding house and speakeasy was one of the inventive ways she used to make ends meet.
Since Maggie developed strong ties with her neighbors, Thomas Rice has fond memories in Far From The Land: An Irish Memoir of their home being used as a “rambling house”. On a nightly basis neighbors told jokes, stories, danced, sang songs, played cards and prayed together. He also tells about the fun adventures they had at dances, Gaelic football and pubs.
Rice has the admirable ability to laugh at himself, admit his mistakes and move on because he’s learned from them. There were one or two spots that seemed repetitive, but all in all it was an enjoyable emotional memoir full of sorrow, laughter and inspiration.
Thomas J. Rice Describes How They Left Ireland in Far From The Land
16-year-old Thomas Rice ignored the rest who told him he was crazy for leaving Ireland and the farm, because he believed in himself and took a chance. First he brought his mother with him to Sheffield England. Although she had second thoughts, he convinced her to hang in until they finally became successful in New York.
An old and respected neighbor had originally spurred him on to leave Ireland by saying, “If I wee young agin, I’d get the hell outa here an’ make a something’ o’ meself”. The inspirational message throughout Far From The Land:An Irish Memoir (iUniverse, 2010, ISBN: 978-1-4401-837-2) was that despite the odds, if people are determined enough, they could overcome obstacles and make their dreams come true.
Sandra Williams - Sandra's a book addict and writer from Ontario, Canada. Her interests include cooking, health and personal development, so many of her ...
