American Harvest, in which Mockett has intelligent things to say about race, faith and food, is a nimble blend of personal reflection and incisive social history. Consistently thought-provoking, it also features lots of keen-eyed nature writing.

Mockett’s heartfelt and often-emotional memories of following the wheat harvest for a summer, through seven states, is unlike anything you’ve read. In just 380 pages, she raises almost every existential question about race, identity and religion.

... a rich blend of science, philosophy and spirituality.

Every page of this (slightly too long) book is suffused with the struggle to comprehend, without condescending.

In addition to providing...historical context of white settlership and agriculture, Mockett also documents illuminating conversations she has with her harvesting team. These conversations prove meaningful, particularly because Mockett maps her thinking so well.

As a ground-level investigation of our fractured politics, American Harvest disappoints. Ms. Mockett seems to possess neither the skill nor the interest in conducting probing interviews.

... by turns a woman’s travelogue of the Great Plains, a sweeping history of the American West, and a cross-sectional study of contemporary Christian theology.

Readers will enjoy a narrative rich in historical context of colonization, land ownership, and farming that is expertly woven into chapters with searching theological dialog while describing picturesque landscapes of fields and skies.

... a somewhat confusing blend of faith discussion, memoir, history, and repetitive culture clashes. Mockett clearly has a great deal of love for her family land and engages earnestly and respectfully with everyone she meets. The result is a placid narrative on farm country, with a biblical twist..

Mockett’s portrait is nuanced, revealing those overlooked people in counties likely to have voted for the sitting president to be worth paying attention to.

... well-written but dense.