Small towns…. they seem idyllic. When you visit, you’re excited about the quiet, slow pace. As you settle in, maybe you start to feel a little frustrated by the lack of conveniences. That’s where the irritation with out-of-towners that locals have comes in– trying to change things. But… What if the traditions are deeper than just a lack of shopping and terrible cell reception. What if there are actually deep secrets to be kept? I think of Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon as a cautionary tale about jumping into a new place without really knowing what you’re getting into!
Genre
Harvest Home is a folk horror novel, originally published in 1973.
Premise
The short summary is that a small family consisting of Ned, Beth, and their daughter, Kate decide they want to leave the city and move to a small, safe town away from the city. Despite a long search, they don’t find their perfect place until they happen upon Cornwall Coombe. This town seems idyllic, and they find the perfect home- but it’s boarded up and the neighbors tell them it’s not for sale. They can’t even talk to the owner because she is in the corn field along with the rest of the town.
The whole town— WHOLE– town is in the corn field… k. Anyway, they leave a number and a few weeks later they get the call– they can come and see the house– it’s for sale!
The story continues as we get to know the town and the people through Ned. We learn that the town is very tied to traditions.
Atmosphere
Harvest Home is a slow, atmospheric story that is full of dread. About the whole first half is very descriptive– slow, but it serves a purpose. Stick with it because the reward is worth it. The setting is pastoral but instead of being charming, it seems dangerous. This is a community that is very dependent on tradition, defensive against progress or influence, and suspicious of any outside influence. The first half of the novel is very slow moving, but it is very important to the story. It is during this half of the story that we learn about the pagan nature of the village, and learn just how important tradition is in this town.
Themes
Some themes in this story include: tradition vs. modernity, isolation, secrecy, the power of community, and the value of hard work
