The Good Life of Helen K. Nearing
Long before it was fashionable, Helen Knothe and Scott Nearing practiced the Spartan tenets of self-sufficiency by homesteading their extensive properties, first in Vermont and then along the Maine coast, where their strict, almost militant adherence to the principles of organic farming, vegetarianism, recycling, and pacifism were translated into and then calculatedly marketed as the underpinnings of a return-to-nature philosophy they termed the "good life." Although the Nearings themselves wrote numerous books detailing the genesis and mastery of this mode of living, these hugely popular treatises were self-congratulatory, idealistic renditions that neglected to fully credit the contributions others made to their purportedly independent lifestyle. Killinger's masterful biography not only corrects the record, it cunningly reveals Helen's early devotion to theosophy and the occult; sheds light on the mystical origins of Helen's romantic devotion to the older, domineering, and philandering man she dedicated her life to; and reinforces the iconic status she cultivated and deserved as an ardent and charismatic proponent of a purposeful life.Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved