In the novel, A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, the lives of three generations of the MacIvey family are depicted over a course of one hundred and five years. The novel seems to mainly focus on the MacIvey men, Tobias and his son Zech and his grandson Sol, and the actions that they chose to take during the hardships that they faced in Florida's wilderness. One major factor of why the men made the actions and decisions that they did was because of the women in their lives. Tobias' wife Emma, Zech's wife Glenda and his lover Twanda, and the woman named Bonnie that Sol was in love with, all had one thing in common and that is that they all were in love with one of the MacIvey men.
             In addition to being in love with the MacIvey men another thing that the four women share in common is that they all were their men's backbones. They are the ones that used their strength to keep the men going. There are many of occasions in the novel where Emma has showed that she was the backbone of the family. For example, when Tobias first decided to go on cattle drives Emma suggested that he find more men, drovers, to help him with the herd of cows. He told her that he did not have money to pay the drovers and she suggested that he pay them at the end of the drive. Tobias responded to her suggestions with a smile and said, "You know, Emma, you got a heap more sense than me. This family would fall apart without you." Tobias also told Emma several times that she is the only MacIvey with brains. Glenda MacIvey showed her strength in very similar ways as Emma showed hers. After Emma died, Glenda had to step up into Emma's position and continue to take care of Zech and the rest of the men. "... just as Glenda was forced into the position of Emma." She tried to talk Zech out of doing dangerous things, but he was stubborn, just like his father, and sometimes he did not listen to Glenda pleading for him to not c...