Rebuilding: A Celebration of a Fixed-Up House and Life

by Wendy Marech

Shortly after her marriage ended, Wendy Marech moved to a dilapidated mansion on the edge of the Catskill Mountains. Built in 1893 and listed on the National Historic Register, the house was halfway to disaster. What it needed--like her--was some serious repair. Part memoir, part travelogue, part personal journey, this book is the story of the year and a half Wendy spent living in the mountains and fixing up the house's plumbing and electric, heat and insulation, windows, bathrooms, floors, foundation--and, not coincidentally, herself. Set in a remarkable, historic neighborhood, and supported by an endearing cast of characters including her son, her mom, their contractor, and a handful of locals and neighbors--and with cameos by their resident mice, snakes, bats, and bears--Rebuilding is her love letter to the Catskills and a celebration of repair of all kinds.

336 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Though she lives in Brooklyn, Wendy Marech has had her fair share of Manhattans. A graduate of Yale and Brown, she's written fiction, non-fiction, and everything in between, including a nationally syndicated newspaper column and a children's fairy tale. She owns more books than she should, loves snow and ice cream, and occasionally believes she was born a century too late.