Leaving the Land

The lives of Scottish farmers Jim and Joey Rutherford spanned most of the twentieth century and encompassed great social and economic change. In this memoir, their daughter and author Anne Ewing provides a testament to her parents’ steadfastness to each other and to their family and friends.

With humorous anecdotes, rich details, and images, Leaving the Land shares the heritage of the Rutherfords, who were born during the First World War and married during the Second. From a very modest start, they built up their farming business over thirty-five years, always with an adventurous and enterprising approach. Their personalities combined the thrift and work ethic typical of their generation, with an openness of mind, generosity of spirit, and sense of humour not always associated with the Scottish character.

Not only does Leaving the Land communicate one family’s legacy, but also provides insight into Scottish history and gives commentary on signs of the times such as the socioeconomic trends, the shift from rural to urban living, and the effects of two world wars and the Great Depression. It also serves as a remembrance of lives well lived in a time and place that will soon exist in memory only.