The Magnolia Story Book Review

I was excited to find the new book about Chip and Joanna Gaines when I was looking through new releases at the library.  I put a hold on The Magnolia Story by Mark Dagostino.  I couldn't wait for it to come in so that I could find out more about this wonderful couple.  They are the two people who work together that we get to watch on HGTV doing Fixer Upper.

Are you ready to see your fixer upper?  These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people?What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.
The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.
They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.
In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover:

• The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby
• Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children
• When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck
• Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home
• Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple
• Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding
• The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do
• The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? “Oh yeah,” says Joanna. “He was, and still is, my first fixer upper.”

I loved it!!  It was an amazing story that you get to learn about Chip and Joanna's childhoods all the way up to when they met.  It was great to see the pictures and hear the stories with both sides of what happened.  The whole book felt like you were sitting down and having a conversation with both of them.  There was a different font for both of them so you quickly knew who was talking.  There were some stories that were happy and some that were sad but I loved reading all of them because you were instantly in the moment with them.  I read parts of the book out loud to my husband and son because it was so good. I  hope that you check out this book (and of course the Fixer Upper TV show) because it is a really inspirational story of how to hang on and make the best decisions in the worst times.