Twenty Years?
...how did that happen?
My first memoir, Hit By a Farm: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn, came out twenty years ago this month.
Twenty years! Amazingly, it’s still in print.
To acknowledge this milestone, I decided to do two things:
Share the link to the audiobook I recorded with Dog Ear Audio years ago. If you have insomnia, this might help. :-)
Share a mattering of reviews—wildly different reviews! One wonders if they were actually reading the same book!
Review snips:
Friend's writing style is so engaging, I had a hard time putting the book down to do other things!
I am surprised that readers are calling this book hilarious.
Funny, funny FUNNY book!
It is a little whinny but the humor tempers that.
Very good read...at times extremely funny.
Catherine has a very self-deprecating approach in her memoir which is always important. I love reading these types of books, but am often left with a sour taste in my mouth about how wonderful the author thinks herself. Not so with this one.
Catherine whines a bit too much, but she does provide a lot of insight to what it is like to run a small farm.
I appreciated Catherine's honesty and openness about their life and struggles, how hard it was to set boundaries and the struggle with the third "person" in their marriage.
I thought it would be more informative.
Totally found my self dying laughing at parts of this book.
Honestly, I didn’t like this book at all. I think it’s probably because I’ve spent a lot of time farming. Nothing in this book was new or interesting.
As someone who has grown up with livestock, this book is hysterical and I literally had to stop reading it in public because I would start laughing so hard I couldn't stop.
Just expected a sheep story, not a personal drama between 2 lesbians. That part was a bit too much information, but the stories about the farm and the sheep were entertaining. Just wish she would have kept the "personal stuff" personal...the farm stories were enough to make a good read.
I laughed so hard tears were streaming down my face!
This book was O.K.. I guess I expected more of actual farm activities. It was just O.K. to me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Eye-opening and funny, with serious moments. Missed out on sleep because I could not put the book down.
I read some reviews that complain that Catherine Friend whines too much in this book. I have a feeling that in reality, her misery was much worse than what she reveals in print. I give her and Melissa so much credit for respecting each other, for accepting the challenge, and for working it all out. Like any other choice, the farm came with a learning curve. As we all say on the journey, “Are we there yet?” Isn’t getting there what it’s all about? Thank you, Catherine Friend, for an eye-opening, entertaining look at life on your farm.
I love the variety and people’s honesty and the wild range of reactions. :-)
I really appreciate all the support this book has received. Reviews are important, even the negative ones. Thank you so much!
Interesting to consider the reviews in the context of those years. Marriage equality was still 9 years away, and people felt they were entitled to question the validity of our identity. And you published this book! Bold and brave.
We were all so young ;~)