The Dirty Life Book Review

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball seemed like an interesting book so I put it on my hold list at the library.  I actually was going to go in and extend my hold but when the power was out, I totally forgot so this book came up shortly after the power outage.

 It was at the bottom of the pile since I was trying to get through all of the other ones that I checked out and I wasn't really sure that I wanted to get into it.  Luckily, I finally decided to pick this one up when I went to my girls night because I didn't want to get into anything to heavy before bedtime since it was 2 am already.  That said, I finished it in two days so it is a compelling and quick read. 

It was the most fascinating read about everything in the authors life starting with her city life being a writer meeting a farmer who she later falls in love with.  The way she writes really makes you feel like you are in the middle of her life (both the good and the bad parts). Each chapter goes through a stage in her life- later chapters being based on the seasons.

I don't know if I could give up the "normal" life to go work and live on a farm.  Even though the idea of raising and eating your own food sounds so appealing even though I am a super picky eater.  Since I can't even master a small garden, I am far from this self-sufficient life.  The idea of eating strange animal parts (liver, heart, etc) and blood pudding are not at all appealing to me.  I don't know if I could get over my issues enough to drink fresh milk and use fresh butter- somehow it seems safer to eat it from the grocery store :)  So for some people this book might be a whole lot of reality but to me it was a fantasy that I would love to do (in theory) but of course, I would be in the house making the bread and cooking food and not working the long, hard days in the fields like the author does :)

I hope that you check out this book at your local library or bookstore.  Let me know what you think because I thought it was a great book and wonder if other people have this dream too or if this is just another one of my frugal ideas :)