The Land of Little Rain : A Collection of Short Stories and Essays (Paperback)

from Paulagraph

"Mary Austin was convinced that the valley [Owens Valley*] had died when it sold its first water right to Los Angeles--that city would never stop until it owned the whole river and all of the land. One day, in Los Angeles for an interview with Mulholland, she told him so. After she had left, a su...

from dypaloh

If you can, choose to read the 1950 edition of The Land of Little Rain. It has 48 photographs taken by Ansel Adams. California's sparsely populated Owens Valley is the geographic heart of this volume, a place familiar to seekers of high-altitude trips in the eastern Sierra Nevada or access to the...

from dasam

In "The Land of Little Rain," Mary Austin proves in many ways the equal of Henry David Thoreau as well as a bit of an amateur sociologist. Her writing is fine if at times a bit precious.

from Sarah_Buckley

This might be a great book for people who like to read long, flowery descriptions of scenery and what animals are doing. I personally found it slooooow and boring. I was forced to read it for school, so I would never have chosen to read it on my own. Perhaps the book just wasn't "for" me.

from Grace.Van.Moer

Enjoyable read on the natural and cultural history or desert California. Writing style is definitely indicative of the time, and a bit stilted in parts. But easily overlooked for me due to the fascinating subject matter.