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Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm
/B>In March of 2009, Erin Byers Murray ditched her pampered city girl lifestyle and convinced the rowdy and mostly male crew at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Massachusetts, to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food and lifestyle writer work for them for 12 months to learn the business of oysters. SHUCKED is part love letter, part memoir and part documentary about the world's most beloved bivalves. An in-depth look at the work that goes into getting oysters from farm to table, SHUCKED shows Erin's full-circle journey through the modern day oyster farming process and tells a dynamic story about the people who grow our food, and the cutting-edge community of weathered New England oyster farmers who are defying convention and looking ahead. The narrative also interweaves Erin's personal story, the tale of how a technology-obsessed workaholic learns to slow life down a little bit and starts to enjoy getting her hands dirty (and cold).
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2011
57 people are currently reading
1149 people want to read
About the author
Erin Byers Murray
6 books12 followersErin Byers Murray is a Boston area journalist, specializing in food and wine writing. Most recently, she was the Boston editor for DailyCandy.com. Her work as been published in the Boston Globe, Food and Wine, Boston Magazine, Bon Appetit, and many more. Visit her at shucked.wordpress.com."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
October 11, 2011
What did I know about oysters? In retrospect, next to nothing until I read Shucked, by Erin Byers Murray. In fact, my only experience with harvesting shellfish was limited to a couple of hours spent digging clams at a beach behind my sister’s apartment in Winthrop, Massachusetts. The only thing that I remember was the pain in my lower back and the relief that I felt when the tide finally rolled in and we had to call it quits for the day. It’s hard work! Yet the author of this book left her comfortable 9 to 5 job at Daily Candy to work for an oyster farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts for 18 months! Not since George Plimpton has a writer been this “imbedded” to cover a story and learn all that there is to know about delivering oysters from farm to table.
During her work at Island Creek Oysters, Murray did everything from separating and sorting oysters according to size and shape, a process known as culling, to washing and bagging oysters, to even working in the company’s front office. She was also responsible for managing the “seed” or baby oysters that would be nurtured until they were big enough to be planted in the company’s leased oyster beds in Duxbury Bay. A mistake made during this phase of her assignment could have cost the company its future crop of oysters, an error that could have been devastating to the company financially. Despite the mental and also physical challenges that came with this undertaking, Murray was able to capture a unique insider’s view into oyster farming and its place in the growing farm to table, slow food movement.
I’ve read this type of story many times before and each time I read it I love it even more. The Hero’s Journey, when an unlikely hero faces daunting physical and mental obstacles. With perseverance and a little help from mentors along the way, the hero becomes a master in their own right. Through the course of the book, the author takes this journey from oyster culling novice to “momma-seeda,” master of the “seed” to confidant of the company’s founder. Against this backdrop, Murray gives us an inside look at what it is actually like to work on an oyster farm – from production to marketing to customer relations. She also provides a historical account of the company itself from its modest beginnings to one of the most sought after brands of oysters today. In addition to having its oysters on the menus of marquee restaurants such as Per Se and The French Laundry, Island Creek now has its own restaurant in Boston, a venture with Boston-based Harpoon Brewery, and a philanthropic arm raising money through its annual Island Creek Oyster Festival for a business development project in Africa.
Murray has masterfully recounted this story along with her own experiences to create an intriguing look at what it takes to get oysters from farm to table. And if this were not enough, the book also includes an oyster or clam recipe at the end of each chapter. We tried one, Berg’s Baked Oysters, and it was fantastic. We give this book four out of five stars.
During her work at Island Creek Oysters, Murray did everything from separating and sorting oysters according to size and shape, a process known as culling, to washing and bagging oysters, to even working in the company’s front office. She was also responsible for managing the “seed” or baby oysters that would be nurtured until they were big enough to be planted in the company’s leased oyster beds in Duxbury Bay. A mistake made during this phase of her assignment could have cost the company its future crop of oysters, an error that could have been devastating to the company financially. Despite the mental and also physical challenges that came with this undertaking, Murray was able to capture a unique insider’s view into oyster farming and its place in the growing farm to table, slow food movement.
I’ve read this type of story many times before and each time I read it I love it even more. The Hero’s Journey, when an unlikely hero faces daunting physical and mental obstacles. With perseverance and a little help from mentors along the way, the hero becomes a master in their own right. Through the course of the book, the author takes this journey from oyster culling novice to “momma-seeda,” master of the “seed” to confidant of the company’s founder. Against this backdrop, Murray gives us an inside look at what it is actually like to work on an oyster farm – from production to marketing to customer relations. She also provides a historical account of the company itself from its modest beginnings to one of the most sought after brands of oysters today. In addition to having its oysters on the menus of marquee restaurants such as Per Se and The French Laundry, Island Creek now has its own restaurant in Boston, a venture with Boston-based Harpoon Brewery, and a philanthropic arm raising money through its annual Island Creek Oyster Festival for a business development project in Africa.
Murray has masterfully recounted this story along with her own experiences to create an intriguing look at what it takes to get oysters from farm to table. And if this were not enough, the book also includes an oyster or clam recipe at the end of each chapter. We tried one, Berg’s Baked Oysters, and it was fantastic. We give this book four out of five stars.
April 29, 2019
Real cute title. I liked the premise when I heard about this book on NPR. Finally getting around to it, I'm a little disappointed. This girl is not much of a writer, and she seems super young. Like younger than her 33 years. You can tell she loves writing about food, but those were the weakest, clumsiest sections of the book. The second half of the book was one recounting after another of oyster parties or dinners, all bleeding into each other to create a faceless blob of boring. What I did really like was her initiation into the oyster farm. It's a process I've never heard anything about, and it reminded me a lot of my introduction into zookeeping. It's fine, I appreciate the read. I had a giant stack of interesting books to chose from, and this is the only one I could get any momentum on, so I'm grateful to have found something that stuck.
October 28, 2022
If you want to know anything about Oysters ~ how they go from water to table than this is definitely your book!!!! the process is well explained in a nice memoir of the author's work on the farm. I'm not a huge non-fiction reader - so it was a tad dry. Of course I was searching for the little love story within the pages(didn't find one) But I do love to read about stuff I enjoy, and I LOVE oysters and even just the Massachusetts/Cape Cod setting - it was worth the listen and the narration was good!!!!
March 9, 2025
it was like reading my works college party stories (was eating it up)
February 19, 2020
2020 bk 63. Erin Byers Murray gave up her day job - magazine journalist - to take on the job of learning about oyster farming in Massachusetts. She did this out of a love of eating oysters and an intense curiosity of how growing, harvesting, marketing, to table work. This was an enjoyable read, even for a non-eater of oysters (hey, I live in the midwest - these just aren't on my radar). The farming business of oyster cultivation was far more interesting than I anticipated. Erin becomes enamored with her new job - despite the cold and wet tasks, the heavy lifting - and finds joy in her new employment. The next time I see a sign saying Island Creek Oysters, they will seem like an old friend and maybe, perhaps, I might try one.
January 1, 2019
2018 was not a great year - reading-wise - but I'm so glad I found this gem! Now I too want to go work at an oyster farm in Duxbury.
Except you can't go back to being in your 20's - which I think is what the author was grappling with.
Except you can't go back to being in your 20's - which I think is what the author was grappling with.
October 4, 2023
Loved the topic, disliked how the narrator dismissed many of the growers/farmers knowledge and education
March 10, 2024
Makes me want to give it all up and work on an oyster farm
October 8, 2020
It takes a special type of love - or stubbornness - to do the physically and mentally demanded job of being an oyster farmer. Or even work on an oyster farm. Long hours out in the chilly mud pulling up enough oysters when under the double timetable of grabbing enough large sized pieces to fill the days' orders while staying ahead of the returning tide. Checking viability of the oyster while checking size and counting to 100 all at the same time. Anxiously watching the weather for storms and freezing conditions and high or low tides. Dealing with other creatures that find the bags and oysters interesting like snails and barnacles and sponge-like slime.
The author experienced being wet for hours out on the water or tidal areas, covered in mud and oyster poop and then there was the thousands of oysters that needed to be cleaned, and culling or sizing the oysters while checking for any damaged ones that can be pout back in the bay to regrow their shells. Then there are the months when certain team members are focused on the daily cleaning of the tiny oyster seed or babies that can easily suffocate in the layers of their own 'poop' until they get big enough to be placed in hanging bags and then other bags and finally distributed on the leased bay floor And yes, poop is said alot in this book.
Anyway, it's an intriguing look at aquaculture farming as well as the the work it takes to bring a product basically from birth to a restaurant's table. Island Creek Oysters are well-known to the chefs of the Boston area as well as others. In far, there are several occurrences when these notable cooks either visit the company location in Duxbury or the local food festival. And even lure the owner and others to a masterful multi-course meal.
The author ends her book with some rather interesting and profound advice - "No matter what it is you want to do, do it to the fullest and always find a way to have fun. If you're growing oysters, grow oysters. But make sure you're enjoying every minute of it. If you want to write, then write. And write about what you love. Go after what you want and work hard for it. But never stop dreaming big."
Advice we could all take to heart.
2020-201
The author experienced being wet for hours out on the water or tidal areas, covered in mud and oyster poop and then there was the thousands of oysters that needed to be cleaned, and culling or sizing the oysters while checking for any damaged ones that can be pout back in the bay to regrow their shells. Then there are the months when certain team members are focused on the daily cleaning of the tiny oyster seed or babies that can easily suffocate in the layers of their own 'poop' until they get big enough to be placed in hanging bags and then other bags and finally distributed on the leased bay floor And yes, poop is said alot in this book.
Anyway, it's an intriguing look at aquaculture farming as well as the the work it takes to bring a product basically from birth to a restaurant's table. Island Creek Oysters are well-known to the chefs of the Boston area as well as others. In far, there are several occurrences when these notable cooks either visit the company location in Duxbury or the local food festival. And even lure the owner and others to a masterful multi-course meal.
The author ends her book with some rather interesting and profound advice - "No matter what it is you want to do, do it to the fullest and always find a way to have fun. If you're growing oysters, grow oysters. But make sure you're enjoying every minute of it. If you want to write, then write. And write about what you love. Go after what you want and work hard for it. But never stop dreaming big."
Advice we could all take to heart.
2020-201
January 26, 2012
Oh Shucked....
First of all (by my own fault), this book wasn't what I expected. Perhaps because it has "Life" in the title, I was under the impression that I was going to be reading about someone who spent her life (growing up) on an oyster farm. I must have read the description and then promptly forgotten it.
I did enjoy the way she recounted her time at Island Creek (and the toll it initially took on her marriage) but there were so many other things that popped up that left me sort of annoyed. She left what she seemed to portray as a 'cushy' job and began working at Island Creek just because...she asked...? If only finding a job were so easy. The last half/third of the book seemed to focus on her name-dropping: this and that celebrity chef from Boston or New York. And I really couldn't get past that. It was as if she originally wanted to show that she was 'slumming' it at the farm. And while I don't doubt the enormous physical strain and pay cut, it seemed like a huge part of the job was schmoozing while dining in fine restaurants and lounging by the ocean. The setting was unique but the story was the same.
First of all (by my own fault), this book wasn't what I expected. Perhaps because it has "Life" in the title, I was under the impression that I was going to be reading about someone who spent her life (growing up) on an oyster farm. I must have read the description and then promptly forgotten it.
I did enjoy the way she recounted her time at Island Creek (and the toll it initially took on her marriage) but there were so many other things that popped up that left me sort of annoyed. She left what she seemed to portray as a 'cushy' job and began working at Island Creek just because...she asked...? If only finding a job were so easy. The last half/third of the book seemed to focus on her name-dropping: this and that celebrity chef from Boston or New York. And I really couldn't get past that. It was as if she originally wanted to show that she was 'slumming' it at the farm. And while I don't doubt the enormous physical strain and pay cut, it seemed like a huge part of the job was schmoozing while dining in fine restaurants and lounging by the ocean. The setting was unique but the story was the same.
June 22, 2013
This is about a woman who took a year off her cushy writing job to become an oyster farmer. If that sounds boring, then this book probably isn't for you. But if you're curious like me about the oyster industry, then this book delivers. I was a little apprehensive that reading about the gritty details of oyster farming would turn me off from oysters, but this gives a sometimes glamorous look at the life of the oyster farmers at Island Creek Oyster farms. I know it made me crave the briny little bivalves even more.
I liked that the end of each chapter included a little recipe contributed by someone related to the oyster farm. The recipes range from a simple mignonette to more complex things like oyster casseroles.
I liked that the end of each chapter included a little recipe contributed by someone related to the oyster farm. The recipes range from a simple mignonette to more complex things like oyster casseroles.
April 30, 2020
Have you ever thought to yourself, "My life is good, my desk job is great, but what if I throw it all in the air, do a 180, and spend a year-and-a-half working on an oyster farm - hauling, shucking, washing, and generally immersing myself in oysters?" If yes, then this is ABSOLUTELY a read for you. But there is much to enjoy about Shucked, Erin Byers Murray's memoir of her time spent on Island Creek's oyster farm in 2009, even if a seafood-farming lifestyle has never crossed your mind.
This is was a brisk, fun read! Ms. Murray is clearly passionate about food and food culture: She's the former Boston editor of DailyCandy.com, and that DailyCandy breezy-yet-engrossing voice is what pours through this read. She's able to take what is, to many, a very dry subject matter and give it a dramatic flair. It doesn't hurt that oyster farming is a surprising complex business, and the Island Creek Oyster Farm is full of spirited, likeable folks.
Murray's story is ultimately a fish/oyster-out-of-water one. We get to join her on a journey of personal growth as she helps millions of oysters grow in Duxbury, MA. She's not afraid to shy away from the impact this journey took on her marriage, her family, and her body in the process. Shucked feels honest in it's portrayal, but not necessarily too raw to be unenjoyable. And, as a nice touch, each chapters ends with an oyster-based recipe, curated by characters and chefs mentioned in this sprawling story.
Shucked is, at times, a little bloated. Chapters jump from setting to setting, topic to topic. And it felt to me like Murray, a zealous food writer, sometimes derails her own story by spending too much time discussing food-based activities off the farm itself (especially in the back third of the book). But, for lack of a better expression, it's a matter of taste. I was drawn to this book with the promise of a juicy personal growth story - others, who will get to it on it's culinary angle will probably lap those chapters up.
I read this book during Covid quarantine - I think those looking for a brief escape from their everydayness will find much to savor in Murray's memoir!
This is was a brisk, fun read! Ms. Murray is clearly passionate about food and food culture: She's the former Boston editor of DailyCandy.com, and that DailyCandy breezy-yet-engrossing voice is what pours through this read. She's able to take what is, to many, a very dry subject matter and give it a dramatic flair. It doesn't hurt that oyster farming is a surprising complex business, and the Island Creek Oyster Farm is full of spirited, likeable folks.
Murray's story is ultimately a fish/oyster-out-of-water one. We get to join her on a journey of personal growth as she helps millions of oysters grow in Duxbury, MA. She's not afraid to shy away from the impact this journey took on her marriage, her family, and her body in the process. Shucked feels honest in it's portrayal, but not necessarily too raw to be unenjoyable. And, as a nice touch, each chapters ends with an oyster-based recipe, curated by characters and chefs mentioned in this sprawling story.
Shucked is, at times, a little bloated. Chapters jump from setting to setting, topic to topic. And it felt to me like Murray, a zealous food writer, sometimes derails her own story by spending too much time discussing food-based activities off the farm itself (especially in the back third of the book). But, for lack of a better expression, it's a matter of taste. I was drawn to this book with the promise of a juicy personal growth story - others, who will get to it on it's culinary angle will probably lap those chapters up.
I read this book during Covid quarantine - I think those looking for a brief escape from their everydayness will find much to savor in Murray's memoir!
July 14, 2023
I probably saw this book nearly ten years ago in a fancy Boston hotel room; after browsing a few pages I knew I wanted to finish it, but the hotel copy wasn't for sale (and I didn't steal it), and though from time to time I would remember this book, other aspects of life kept occupying my time. And so, long overdue, I've finally finished the book and am glad I did!
I recommend to foodies, journalists, farmers, chefs, ocean enthusiasts, marine biologists, and memoirists everywhere.
Erin Murray seamlessly balances her personal life and perspective with the deep dive into her ~18 month stint on a most male crew at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, MA. I learned so much from reading this account, and not just on the aspects I expected to. In addition to the lifecycle of oysters and the aquaculture crew's daily routine, this book also describes the networking events with other oyster growers and chefs, fundraising for a charitable organization, opening a restaurant, and showcasing at national food festivals.
I've worked outdoors, on boats, and in the water conducting scientific research or monitoring environmental conditions for the State of Florida, but I've never worked outdoors in a New England winter. I am humbled by all the hard work this operation performs.
My primary critique of this work is that it doesn't explain the natural history, distribution, or life experience of oysters as it should have. I wish Murray compared Island Creek to other aquaculture oyster farms to get a better picture of the industry, and I wanted Murray to mention when she decided to write a book about her time there and what the writing process was like. And while I expected people to eat oysters in this book, I was surprised at just how much drinking and gorging on seafood is featured. To have 6 or 7 dinner parties a year isn't THAT much, I guess, but still, a vegan could find those scenes difficult to read.
Overall, a well written memoir about a unique and impressive experience, and I'm glad I read it (finally).
I recommend to foodies, journalists, farmers, chefs, ocean enthusiasts, marine biologists, and memoirists everywhere.
Erin Murray seamlessly balances her personal life and perspective with the deep dive into her ~18 month stint on a most male crew at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, MA. I learned so much from reading this account, and not just on the aspects I expected to. In addition to the lifecycle of oysters and the aquaculture crew's daily routine, this book also describes the networking events with other oyster growers and chefs, fundraising for a charitable organization, opening a restaurant, and showcasing at national food festivals.
I've worked outdoors, on boats, and in the water conducting scientific research or monitoring environmental conditions for the State of Florida, but I've never worked outdoors in a New England winter. I am humbled by all the hard work this operation performs.
My primary critique of this work is that it doesn't explain the natural history, distribution, or life experience of oysters as it should have. I wish Murray compared Island Creek to other aquaculture oyster farms to get a better picture of the industry, and I wanted Murray to mention when she decided to write a book about her time there and what the writing process was like. And while I expected people to eat oysters in this book, I was surprised at just how much drinking and gorging on seafood is featured. To have 6 or 7 dinner parties a year isn't THAT much, I guess, but still, a vegan could find those scenes difficult to read.
Overall, a well written memoir about a unique and impressive experience, and I'm glad I read it (finally).
July 22, 2024
I read this for a book club I’m in, as we’re all a bunch of women who live and love New England. I do not normally read memoirs or biographies so at first I was worried I’d not be able to get into this book but I was proven so wrong! I loved this book for so many reasons; I’m currently getting a masters of science in environmental management and oyster farms are such an amazing sustainable food source and environmental delight that I loved learning all about them throughout. I felt EBM captured and explained the science behind them, but with humor and easy to understand language. I loved reading about Skips entire entrepreneurial endeavors along with Shore - although it did feel, at times, like a giant ad for their business, and name dropping which was a little tiresome (and why I ultimately deducted a star) but how could it not when the authors passion was pouring from the pages!?
Lastly, I had a special unexpected personal connected as I went to college with both “A2” and “Berg” at URI. So when I first started reading and got to page 17 my head kind of exploded that these two kind friends of mine were forever captured in her reading! I am going to be recommending this book to all of my ocean loving friends due to the science behind it all.
Lastly, I had a special unexpected personal connected as I went to college with both “A2” and “Berg” at URI. So when I first started reading and got to page 17 my head kind of exploded that these two kind friends of mine were forever captured in her reading! I am going to be recommending this book to all of my ocean loving friends due to the science behind it all.
November 1, 2019
I love a food book. I'll take a @markkurlansky over almost any book, any day. So, this food memoir by Erin Byers Murray spoke to me in so many ways. #1 A writer who chucks her day job to work on an oyster farm for a year? #lifegoals #2 A memoir of hanging with guys that seemed like cookie cutter copies of my beach guys growing up? I was home. (Little known fact - I am a full-on beach girl in my heart. And every year say to myself, this is the year I spend the summer working and living on LBI, my home beach. #SantaMonicaisaclosesecond) Knowing where your food comes is so important, which is the underlying message here. Coupled with this writer's good storytelling and conversational writing style, this was a joy to read. I'm sorry it had to end.
July 31, 2021
Charming. I picked it off the shelf because of the oyster on the front (Ethan and I are obsessed with oysters for two people who have had a total of four in their lifetimes).
Erin is mostly exactly the type of author I like for a work like this:
-The least knowledgable person in the room
-Moves from clueless to informed
-The right amount of self-deprecating
-Delightfully in awe
That said, the author makes some life choices that make me feel pretty "meh" about her. She chooses a lifestyle that is at complete odds with her husband's schedule, so they basically never see each other. When she does, she's toasted. It's like she's on the verge of divorce and she doesn't care.
Otherwise, my biggest takeaway is that I need oysters stat.
Erin is mostly exactly the type of author I like for a work like this:
-The least knowledgable person in the room
-Moves from clueless to informed
-The right amount of self-deprecating
-Delightfully in awe
That said, the author makes some life choices that make me feel pretty "meh" about her. She chooses a lifestyle that is at complete odds with her husband's schedule, so they basically never see each other. When she does, she's toasted. It's like she's on the verge of divorce and she doesn't care.
Otherwise, my biggest takeaway is that I need oysters stat.
February 6, 2023
This reads like a love story for two of my favorite things: my hometown of Duxbury, MA and oysters.
I really enjoyed learning how Island Creek Oysters got its start. It’s such an important fixture in Duxbury and it has grown astronomically from its humble beginnings.
I have previously given very little thought as to the process of getting an oyster from the bay into my mouth. I love oysters but, besides seeing the little floating grow houses in the bay, I knew next to nothing about how they’re grown. The author does a great job of taking you through the growing process and paints a vivid picture of the life of an oyster farmer.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves oysters or who appreciates learning more about the farm-to-table experience.
I really enjoyed learning how Island Creek Oysters got its start. It’s such an important fixture in Duxbury and it has grown astronomically from its humble beginnings.
I have previously given very little thought as to the process of getting an oyster from the bay into my mouth. I love oysters but, besides seeing the little floating grow houses in the bay, I knew next to nothing about how they’re grown. The author does a great job of taking you through the growing process and paints a vivid picture of the life of an oyster farmer.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves oysters or who appreciates learning more about the farm-to-table experience.
March 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book as a way to learn about the commercial oyster industry. Whereas a nonfiction focusing directly on that would be dry, the positioning of the book through the experiences of a novice allows the narrator to ask the questions we were wondering about as the audience. And while some memoirs trend towards self indulgence and navel gazing this one keeps the story more on the farm and the quest to understand what farm to table can mean. I love the addition of recipes to allow the reader to bring it home, and the authors airy narrative allows even something as seemingly mundane as stirring a pot to be a gripping story element. I was definitely hungry for oysters after reading this book and I’m a vegetarian!
December 23, 2022
Is this the best book I’ve read this year?? I rarely read nonfiction and often don’t finish nonfiction when I do start. Shucked held none of the qualities I fear in the genre: it’s characters had character and did not become lost in a sea of undeveloped names; the timeline moved at the perfect pace, stopping to describe experiences and illustrate scenes without belaboring every detail; and the writing was clean and friendly to the average reader. I loved the way Erin describes her culinary adventures, the beauty and pain of working outdoors, and her honesty in each experience. I’m sad to be at the end of this one!
April 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this. I was hesitant early on, when it leaned more personal memoir. But by the third chapter or so it became focused on oyster farming and the oyster business and more or less stayed there. The author is excellent at explaining things - I never felt lost or like I needed to check a second source for more information. And you will get hungry reading it!
Not really a point against, but the Per Se chapter is kind of gross, the whole thing with VIPs getting more plates and the 'yes, chef' mentality. But again, that's not on the book. If anything, I'm grateful for the knowledge.
Not really a point against, but the Per Se chapter is kind of gross, the whole thing with VIPs getting more plates and the 'yes, chef' mentality. But again, that's not on the book. If anything, I'm grateful for the knowledge.
August 13, 2020
Really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. I did not know that oysters do not move. I just thought all sea animals move. I also didn’t know that the stripes on the shells indicate the hatchery that the seed came from. I thought the idea of using jalapeño tobacco sauce and a splash of vodka on top of the oyster sounded appealing. I will have to try that next time I eat Island Creek Oysters. If you live in New England and love oysters, you need to read this to appreciate what goes into getting them on the table.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2023
If you’re a seafood fan, this is a good read. Murray’s fish out of water (or “oyster-out-of-bay”) memoir about her year working at a Duxbury oyster farm is a unique premise, though it struggles in its execution. The details of day to day operations are where this book thrives, however the disadvantage of this is that Murray’s writing can feel a tad self-congratulatory… like “look at what a survivor I am for leaving my comfy job to do hard labor for a year!” Overall, I like this book but feel it would’ve been stronger if Murray hadn’t made herself the main character.
July 21, 2025
As someone who has fantasized about trading it all in to go work on an oyster farm, I was really intrigued by the premise of this book! Now, I'll never have to wonder what it would be like. Erin Byers Murray offers a firsthand look at life farming oysters at Island Creek (one of my favorite variety of oysters to boot). I loved learning about the ins and outs of farming and the business through her perspective and the glimpses into the greater foodie culture. I also appreciated the recipes she provided and can't wait to make Jody Adams' oyster-mussel chowder.
May 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! In addition to being a lovely memoir, it provides a wonderful understanding of the amount of work and care that goes into growing oysters. I for one will certainly think of that every time I eat them from now on. Also, at the end of each chapter of the book gives you a recipe from someone who makes an appearance in the book, and I can’t wait to try them. And, I will certainly stop in at Island Creek Oyster Bar the next time I’m in Boston!
May 31, 2019
A friend loaned me this book after I mentioned my son, a new college graduate with a degree in marine science, would be working on a Long Island oyster farm. Erin Byers Murray gave me a glimpse of what his work might be like so I could better understand his job. Based on Murray’s descriptions, I can see his reason for taking the job and what experiences he may get out of it. I will also better appreciate the oysters I eat.
October 8, 2020
What a fun book! Erin gave up her life as an online journalist to spend a year working on an oyster farm. I loved the writing (except when it was redundant), I loved hearing how oyster farming works and I loved that it's a hometown story. I was a little confused by the stated purpose of Erin's adventure. Was it to find out about food to table farming? Was it to fulfill the craving for writing? Did she just want to get away from home, the life she was leading and switch it up a bit?
September 10, 2021
I loved this book! I spent the last few months researching oyster farming, spending days out on the leases learning, and immersing myself in oyster aquaculture. Murray’s journey on the farm offered insight into the tremendous work farmers do and what amazing creatures oysters are. In the end she follows Skip’s advice to do what you do to the fullest and enjoy every minute as she returns to her first love, writing. It’s good advice.
August 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was informative and well written. Erin is a great writer able to integrate personal aspects of her life with humor.
I made a visit to ICOF last summer and wish that I had read this before hand. So glad that the whole team has been so successful and really love knowing all that goes into oyster farming.
I made a visit to ICOF last summer and wish that I had read this before hand. So glad that the whole team has been so successful and really love knowing all that goes into oyster farming.
November 19, 2017
Murray, Erin Byers, Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011). Murray besluit haar comfortabele leven als food writer in te ruilen voor het ruigere bestaan van de oesterboeren in de baai van Cape Cod. Ze schrijft er vervolgens een boek over. Aardig idee, maar het verhaal ontstijgt het triviale niet. Cijfer: 6. Gelezen: mei/juni 2017.
January 19, 2018
It was just okay. I enjoyed learning a bit about oyster farming, and found those parts to be interesting. However, the author just bothered me. The way she inserted herself into everything...I don't know, it was just a very "look at me!" kind of thing. I can't properly articulate the feeling. Anyway, it was a quick read.
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