Author of 'A Land Remembered,' Patrick Smith Dead at 87

Florida writer Patrick Smith, best known for his historical novel A Land Remembered which offered a sweeping glance at Florida history through the story of a family, passed away on Sunday. Smith was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize three times and was also nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In a warm, accessible way, Patrick Smith told the Florida story, said Florida Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam. His story of the courage, greed, love and loss in the swamps and glades of our state will be a Florida classic for many decades to come.

It has been shared with newcomers, is still required reading in many schools and is equally enjoyed by multigenerational families who feel his story is part theirs, Putnam added. "'A Land Remembered' began the conversation between the ranching community and the environmental groups who discovered, through the MacIvey clans story, common ground that endures to this day.