Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor - Hardcover

McMinn, Suzanne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062223704 ISBN 13: 9780062223708

Publisher: HarperOne, 2013

Synopsis

Suzanne McMinn, a former romance writer and founder of the popular blog chickensintheroad.com, shares the story of her search to lead a life of ordinary splendor in Chickens in the Road, her inspiring and funny memoir.

Craving a life that would connect her to the earth and her family roots, McMinn packed up her three kids, left her husband and her sterile suburban existence behind, and moved to rural West Virginia. Amid the rough landscape and beauty of this rural mountain country, she pursues a natural lifestyle filled with chickens, goats, sheep—and no pizza delivery.

With her new life comes an unexpected new love—"52," a man as beguiling and enigmatic as his nickname—a turbulent romance that reminds her that peace and fulfillment can be found in the wake of heartbreak. Coping with formidable challenges, including raising a trio of teenagers, milking stubborn cows, being snowed in with no heat, and making her own butter, McMinn realizes that she’s living a forty-something’s coming-of-age story.

As she dares to become self-reliant and embrace her independence, she reminds us that life is a bold adventure—if we’re willing to live it. 

Chickens in the Road includes more than 20 recipes, craft projects, and McMinn’s photography, and features a special two-color design.

About this title

About the Author

Suzanne McMinn former romance writer turned intrepid farm girl, is the creator of the incredibly popular personal website www.chickensintheroad.com. A professional writer, teacher, and photographer, she is the author of twenty-six published novels and writes a bimonthly column for the Charleston Daily Mail. She lives in West Virginia.

From the Back Cover

"It was a cold late autumn day when I brought my children to live in rural West Virginia. The farmhouse was one hundred years old, there was already snow on the ground, and the heat was sparse—as was the insulation. The floors weren't even, either. My then-twelve-year-old son walked in the door and said, 'You've brought us to this slanted little house to die.'"

Thus begins former romance writer Suzanne McMinn's wild ride into self-sustainable living halfway up a hill on one of the most remote dirt roads in West Virginia, with a cast including her children, an enigmatic partner, the "rural neighborhood" of quirky characters, and a whole slew of ridiculous and uncooperative farm animals. An unlikely adventurer, the suburban-born-and-bred author tackles one daunting challenge after another on her new forty-acre farm, from hatching chickens and milking a cow to herding sheep and making her own cheese. Whether she's trying to convince a goat to accept its baby or just get her ornery neighbor to move over and let her pass on the road, every page of her adventure is fraught with laughter, passion, drama, and the risk of losing it all before she figures out why she's doing it in the first place. And when she does lose it all, she discovers a triumph she never expected—along with the truth for which she'd been searching all along.

Reviews

In her candid memoir, its title taken from her popular personal website, romance author McMinn chronicles a major life change. McMinn’s nomadic childhood deprived her of all but the shallowest of roots, set in a West Virginia farm owned by her father’s family that she came to love during summer visits. Many years later, when presented with the opportunity to relocate, McMinn decided to follow her heart and head back to the hollers. With three reluctant children and a seemingly reliable lover in tow, McMinn began to build the farm of her dreams, but nothing went quite as planned. Writing with the keen attention to detail of the seasoned author she is, McMinn relates the unexpected challenges that came along. Her honesty is matched only by her desire to both take full responsibility for her failures and share the glow of her successes. The recipes and craft how-to’s provided at the end of the book open the door for all readers, experienced or green, to get a little taste of country life. --Amber Peckham

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062223704
• ISBN 13: 9780062223708
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320