Trauma Farm:
A Rebel History of Rural Life
by Brian Brett
Narrated by Michael Puttonen
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press
Publish Date: March 8, 2013
Format: Audio, 11 hours | 46 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Brian Brett’s farm on Salt Spring Island is affectionately known as Trauma Farm. There, he raises chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, and goats, tends an extensive orchard and vegetable garden, concocts fabulous meals from the bounties of the farm, and has various misadventures.
Underlain with deep knowledge of biology and botany, this erudite, witty, and passionate book is an unforgettable portrait of the issues all farms face in this age of industrialization and homogenization.
My Thoughts:
In this informative and often humorous memoir Brett demonstrates that his love for the farm is what keeps him going day after day. Along with his wife, Sharon, who also works as a nurse, they operate the small 10-acre farm on Salt Spring Island near Vancouver, BC.
There’s so much packed into this book about life on the farm I’m not sure where to begin. There’s the relationship with animals, the plants, the land and the history. And then there are the problems facing the modern-day small farm and all the exasperating government regulations. Brett does spend a fair amount of time railing against many of the complex rules the small farmer has to contend with, but in his defense, he does have a point. The safety issues that plague corporate farming are caused by the very industry itself. To apply the same standard to family farms is overkill and unnecessarily costly.
For years I’ve had a vegetable garden in my backyard and know the pleasure of growing and eating my own food. I bring bunches of herbs and bags of green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and the prolific zucchini to friends and family who often refer to me as “the farmer”. I’ve always thought it would be fun to live on a small farm, but after reading Brett’s memoir I realize I have a romanticized idea of what that would involve. In reality it is an endless amount of work with little financial reward but a huge amount of personal satisfaction.
I listened to the audio while working in the garden. At almost 12 hours, it went by quickly. I didn’t realize it was that long until I was writing the review. This was the kind of book that was easy to get lost in and the time flew by. The narration was performed by Michael Puttonen who used a folksy, friendly, but at times a little too sing-songy voice when speaking about life on the farm, but then seamlessly switching to a more serious tone when talking about the impacts of corporate farming and government regulations.
Overall, an interesting look at life on a small farm presented in an entertaining and highly readable manner.
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Source: Review copy
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: An indication that this tree is not well. The fungi will only grow if the tree is rotting inside.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The May host is Abi @ 4 the LOVE of BOOKS
I received some audiobooks and a fun bird book:
For review from Penguin Audio:
A Hundred Summers
by Beatriz Williams
Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.
Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.
The 5th Wave
by Rick Yance
The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors.
Wild Ones
by Jon Mooallem
A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America.
Journalist Jon Mooallem has watched his little daughter’s world overflow with animals butterfly pajamas, appliquéd owls—while the actual world she’s inheriting slides into a great storm of extinction. Half of all species could disappear by the end of the century, and scientists now concede that most of America’s endangered animals will survive only if conservationists keep rigging the world around them in their favor. So Mooallem ventures into the field… more
From Kathy at Bermudaonion’s Weblog. Thanks Kathy!
Look Up!
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
This conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching encourages kids to get outdoors with a sketchbook and really look around. Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader (“Here I am, the noble spruce grouse. In a spruce grove. Eatin’ some spruce. Yep.”). Interactive and enjoyable tips bring an age-old hobby to new life for the next generation of bird-watchers.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Last Saturday was International Migratory Bird Day, a program that highlights and celebrates the migration of birds and their journey to their nesting grounds as they travel across the continent. The events held on that day are meant to inspire people to get outdoors, learn about birds, and take part in their conservation.
I was part of a group that spent the day on a golf course surveying birds, an annual event we call The Bird Watching Open. One of the highlights of the day was finding the two Great-horned Owlets, the same two that I had posted about several weeks ago, had left their nest and were sitting on a nearby branch.
They are only a few months old but already are the size of their parents. Most of their feathers have grown in but you can still see the downy underparts. At this point they can only fly short distances from branch to branch and still depend on their parents to bring them food. Over the summer they will develop their flying skills and learn to hunt. By October they will be independent adults.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The World’s Strongest Librarian
by Josh Hanagarne
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Gotham Books
Publish Date: May 2, 2013
Format: Hardcover | 288 pages
Publisher’s Synopsis:
An inspiring story of how a Mormon kid with Tourette’s found salvation in books and weight-lifting.
The World’s Strongest Librarian illuminates the mysteries of this little-understood disorder, as well as the very different worlds of strongman training and modern libraries. With humor and candor, this unlikely hero traces his journey to overcome his disability— and navigate his wavering Mormon faith—to find love and create a life worth living.
My Thoughts:
Josh speaks candidly about his faith, his struggle with Tourette’s and many other personal hardships he endured including an emotionally charged failed attempt at an adoption. This is an inspirational journey written with wit and charm.
I could easily relate to his love of books, his excitement over visiting the bookmobile and his obsession with Stephen King novels. His mom thought they were too violent, so he would swap out the jacket covers so she wouldn’t take the books away. Haven’t we all hid a book cover at least once for some reason or another? The stories he tells about the library patrons had me laughing out loud. I only wish he told more of them.
Something that librarians and those of us who spend a lot of time in libraries will appreciate are the subchapter headings; each are preceded by their designation in the Dewy Decimal Classification System. A little inside humor.
While I found the bookish parts of the story the most entertaining, I was inspired by his perseverance in his struggle with Tourette’s and his attempts to lead a normal life. He writes his story in a conversational and straight forward style, candidly discussing his attempts to conquer and control the Tourette’s and the affect it had on his family and his life.
A unique story told in an authentic voice, this will appeal not only to memoir fans, but to readers of all genres.
Still time to win a copy:
I have one copy of The World’s Strongest Librarian to give to one of my readers. Stop by the giveaway post and leave a comment to enter. Open through 5/18, US/Canada addresses only. I will choose a random winner when on turn on my computer on 5/19.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: From a garden tour I attended last week at Cantigny Gardens. I forget the name of the orange flower above but they are annuals and were started in the greenhouse. The flowers in the photo below are tulips.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir
by Amanda Knox
Narrated by Amanda Knox
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publish Date: April 30, 2013
Format: Audio, 12 hours | 31 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
She spent four years in a foreign prison for a crime she did not commit. Separated from her family, she was demonized by the international press and treated harshly by the Italian justice system, including disdainful police. She endured humiliation, injustice, and loneliness thousands of miles from her home. Now, with intelligence, grace, and candor, Amanda Knox, the young American exchange student, tells the full story of her harrowing ordeal in Italy — a labyrinthine nightmare of crime and punishment, innocence and vindication-and of the unwavering support of family and friends who tirelessly worked to see her win her freedom.
My Thoughts:
I have been aware of this case ever since it hit international news a few years ago. Until her recent prime time television interview with Diane Sawyer, I had not heard or read an interview with Amanda herself, just other people’s thoughts and opinions. That’s when I found out she had written a memoir.
Amanda tells her story in linear style, beginning with her decision to spend time in Italy as an exchange student and ending with her release from prison four years later. She goes into a lot of detail about the case and her time in prison, and occasionally became repetitive, but overall it was a readable and compelling story. I was amazed and at times horrified at how the police and prosecutors manipulated the legal system. And for what purpose? Not to solve the crime, but because they didn’t want to admit their errors.
If Amanda is guilty of anything it is of being very naïve and knowing little about the culture of the country she was moving to. Italy is not America and by a lot of her actions it was evident she did not understand that. It’s unclear whether it was college student arrogance, her quirky personality or if she was just too trusting of everyone she met. She allowed the police to interrogate her multiple times without asking for an attorney and she didn’t contact the US Embassy for help or advice. By the time she realized she had a problem, it was too late. Many of her statements were not what she meant to convey because she did not speak fluent Italian and she had incriminated herself.
I listened to the audio and Amanda herself is the narrator. In the beginning her voice is neutral and almost flat but after a while she begins to add more emotion and occasional anger. I didn’t have a problem with her as the narrator as it is her story and her voice adds another level of authenticity.
After listening to Amanda’s story, I feel she is telling the truth. However, the reader/listener can judge for themselves.
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Source: Review copy
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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