The Dirty Life – Book Review

I have a long list of books to read over the winter. My plan is to make a post about each and every one. I’ll be the first to admit I’m way better at farming than writing, but how do ya get better but practice ….

First book on the list was The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball. It is a grand tale of what it takes to start a farm, all the brutal hard work, the successes, the failures. And the romance between her and her soon-to-be husband. It’s a fairy tale story of a girl from the city and a good ol’ farm boy…well, kind of.

One paragraph in particular sums up both my attraction and repulsion to farming:

A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. It’s blackmail really.

In the end they get married and I almost shed a tear (I’m such a softy) in her description of the wedding and how everyone chipped in to help.

From a farming perspective, this book really gives me hope that we can have a real farm someday.

This book is an easy read with a nice blend of romance novel and farming tutorial. I’d highly recommend it to anyone.