Written By: Rachel Gnagy @ Inscribed Photography
Have you ever read any of Bess Streeter Aldrich’s books? A friend introduced me to her novel ‘The Rim of the Prairie.’ I read it. I fell in love. And I’ve been hooked ever since.
Mrs. Aldrich was born in Iowa but lived in Nebraska most of her adult life. ‘The Rim of the Prairie’ is her second book and was published in 1925. It’s a wonderful love story filled with interesting characters, set in a small Nebraska town. I love how Aldrich captures the spirit of the Midwest in her writings and shares her pride of her homeland.
Anyways, enough with the history lesson. The reason I shared this tidbit with you is because every time I’m out in the country and see the horizon it makes me think, ‘There’s the rim of the prairie!’ We have such a vast panorama of landscapes that most parts of the country don’t have. We can see for miles and miles on a clear day – all the way to the rim of the prairie.
I just finished rereading another of Aldrich’s novels, ‘A White Bird Flying’, and it rekindled my admiration for the pioneers who settled America’s heartland. Their determination and hard work certainly paved the way for the following generations.
I love trees. I know we don’t have that many trees here in Nebraska, but can you imagine what it would be like to not have any?
I’ll end with a quote from ‘The Rim of the Prairie.’
“‘Think of it! Right here where we stand! No roads, just wild prairie grass blowing in the wind. [The creek] over there with a few cottonwoods and wild plums along its banks. The sky like a blue bowl turned over to meet the green bowl all around the rim of the prairie.'”