Patrick D. Smith (1927-2014) writes predominantly historical fiction. Hailing from Florida, his writing tends to focus upon the American south and America's frontier days. He attended college at the University of Mississippi before pursuing his writing career seriously. Although never having received either award, he has been nominated several times for both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1999 Smith received a nomination to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
A Land Remembered was published in 1984 and quickly became a best-seller. Based on Smith's innate knowledge of Florida's history, he sets this novel in the state's early days as an American territory. Because of the extensive historical angle, covering over a hundred years of U.S. history, the book has been added to many Florida school curriculums for many years now. The plot follows the struggles of a family -- the MacIveys -- as they struggle to make a home on the frontier.
