The Land is a novel written by American author Mildred D. Taylor and published in 2001 by Scholastic.

It is a prequel to the whole series, recounting the life of Cassie Logan's grandfather, Paul-Edward, as he grows from a nine-year-old boy into a man in his mid-twenties.

Paul is the child of a white man and a woman with Black and Native American ancestry.

Edward Logan forbids it, saying that it would be unwise of Paul to ride, let alone race, a horse with whom he is not acquainted.

The story follows Paul as he works at a general store owned by Luke Sawyer, and as a woodworker in a small town called Vicksburg.

Eventually, Paul and Mitchell meet a man by the name of Filmore Granger and make a deal to work for the possession of 40 acres.

After a few months of working hard at the forty, Paul realizes that he needs the help of some hired hands.

To disrupt this happiness, Digger Wallace fulfills his promise to get Mitchell back for embarrassing him.

Later that year, their work of clearing the forty is almost completed and should soon be in Paul's possession, even with all of the extra conditions that Granger adds to the deal in a last-ditch attempt to keep his land.

When Granger claims that they cut trees outside of the perimeter, he declares that he wants Paul off of the land; unless he wishes to sharecrop.

Cassie, Paul's sister, sends their brother Robert up to deliver an envelope with the money he needs to purchase J. T. Hollenbeck's land.

Mildred D. Taylor's novels are often based on stories that she read, heard, or was told about her family's history.

As they talked, I began to visualize all the family who had once known The Land and I felt as if I knew them too," Taylor explained.