Main-Travelled Roads

"Main-Travelled Roads" by Hamlin Garland is a set of stories from the late 1800s that highlights the challenging lives of farmers in the Midwest. Garland's work serves as an homage to his parents, who experienced difficulty and hardship, while also contemplating the beautiful and desolate nature of their environment. The stories begin by introducing Garland's parents, to whom the book is dedicated, with a reflective tone about their challenging existence. The description of the harsh conditions of the main road in the West is used to contrast with its rare beauty. Garland recalls returning to his childhood farm in South Dakota, expressing a mix of longing, regret, and a growing understanding for the quiet toughness of rural living, acknowledging farming realities and the connections between people.