Home to Woefield
Release date: 2011 / 306 pages
Synopsis (from the back cover): Prudence Burns, a well-intentioned New Yorker full of back-to-the-land ideals, just inherited Woefield Farm — thirty acres of scrubland, dilapidated buildings, and one half-sheared sheep…
First Sentence: I don’t know about you, but for me there came that moment during every visit to the farmer’s market when I wanted more.
Review: I must admit that I’m enjoying the recent spate of “urbanite gone country” books that I’ve had the pleasure to read lately. Last year I loved Coop and Fifty Acres and a Poodle and now I’ll add Home to Woefield to this list of light, “funny adventures in farming” tales. As Prudence, one of the main characters, muses mid-way through this novel:
I’d read numerous books in which New Yorkers make their escape from the big city and realize their dreams of becoming farmers. In every case they experience a small but entertaining setback or two, and eventually they become quite successful and never betray their values… Not one of them talked about meetings with bankers or creating fake businesses in order to defer tax and mortgage payments. They certainly didn’t mention getting roped into giving creative writing workshops. (115)
Woefield‘s perspective shifts between four main characters: Prudence, a New Yorker who inherits Woefield from her uncle; Seth, a twenty-something alcoholic and recovering recluse; Earl, an elderly man hiding out at Woefield and harboring a secret past; and Sara — the gem of the novel — an eleven-year-old with a passion for chickens. The four characters are drawn to Woefield for disperate reasons, but soon become close friends and allies.
Although I enjoyed reading Home to Woefield — a quick and engaging tale of redemption and hope – I did find the characters a bit overwritten at times. Juby seemed to want each one to be so unique that they occasionally became caricatures rather than living, breathing characters. However, even this minor complaint seems unnecessary since their quirks and foibles do provide much comic relief throughout the novel.
And Juby is able to create four distinct voices for each character. I believe I could randomly choose any page and immediately recognize which character’s section the page was from — and I believe most readers would immediately be able to ascertain if they would enjoy her style from random passages, too. Here are few representative passages, chosen at random:
Seth: “There was something perfect about her gaving the real fancy chickens and chickens who are about the saddest things that ever walked the earth. I mean, those frizzles were a mess. They looked like something J. Lo wore five years ago on her Latin American tour dates. They looked like they’d been bleached and then put in the dryer on high for about thirty-six hours. Their feathers were tattered and hanging off them and they had this very dim expression on their faces, even for chickens.”
Sara: “Being a leader is very tiring but also rewarding. It’s like we learned in Jr. Poultry: The secret for getting ahead is Getting Started. It seems like a lot of adults have trouble Getting Started. Or maybe they just get started on the wrong things.”
Earl: “You know, I been watching TV by myself ever since the old man died. Can’t say as I’ve missed the company. If the kid hadn’t insisted, I’d have said no. But she wouldn’t quit until I come in the house and set down. Said if we was going to care for Bertie [the sheep] proper, we needed to get educated. If you can beat that.”
I’m not sure this novel would lend itself to a sustained book club discussion, but the members of your club would most likely enjoy spending a few hours at Woefield Farm!
Interested in winning a free copy? Drop me a comment below and I will choose a lucky winner by the weekend!
Interested in what other’s think?
Tuesday, March 8th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Friday, March 11th: BookNAround
Monday, March 14th: Colloquium
Monday, March 14th: Amusing Reviews
Tuesday, March 15th: A Bookworm’s World
Wednesday, March 16th: Rundpinne
Thursday, March 17th: she reads and reads
Tuesday, March 22nd: The Lost Entwife
Wednesday, March 23rd: Book Reviews by Molly
Thursday, March 24th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Wednesday, March 30th: Book Club Classics!
Thursday, March 31st: Book-a-rama
Looks interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.
It’s always interesting to read about people making a lifestyle change and how they adjust to it.
Sounds good to me–I loved Coop, so I’d like to try this one too!
I’ve been hearing about this book and would definitely love to read it. Please include me in the giveaway!
Thanks:)
I love tales of people who have the courage midlife to switch to a totally different track. Count me in!
I’ve already reserved a copy of this one and I CANNOT wait to start it. It’s very different from what I usually read but it sounds like a lot of fun!
I would love to read this…thanks for the chance!
Sounds like an interesting book. I’d like to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!
This sounds like a book I would enjoy! Please enter me. Thank you!
Sounds like a book I would really enjoy!!
No need to enter me, but I’ve been reading good things about this book everywhere. I definitely want to read it soon.
Hope it’s not too late! I’d love to win this book!
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net