Small Town Ho: The Hilarious Story of Moving from the Big City to North Idaho

by Duke Diercks

Have You Ever Wanted OFF the Treadmill ?? New author Duke Diercks bursts onto the scene with the hilarious memoir of one family’s move from the big city to the panhandle of North Idaho. No Jobs. No friends. Just buckets of our own ignorance. Follow along in horror and hilarity as the family acclimates to the new small town way of life and the author bounces from jobs working in a school cafeteria to selling women’s clothing in a call center to opening a barbecue restaurant. Written in a smart, self-deprecating, salty style, Small Town Ho is all at once poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, full of the struggle of an ordinary family consisting of three boys, one big black lab, one assassin of a cat, and two very tired parents.

Genres: Humor, Travel

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2016

Reviews

[Tyneka Kearse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not hilarious at all

This book was extremely hard to get through. I stopped reading several times because it was so dry...I thought it was going to be really funny, but that is far from the truth. I only fought to finish it because I don't like to start a book and not finish it. Glad I'm done though.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The "Ho" of this title means Idaho--just so you know. This book is NOT hilarious, and it is not even that slightly funny most of the time. I was forced to speed read it for info about Sandpoint because I have family moving there soon. The writing teetered on good, but then he dumped in garbage words--tons of them--trashy and distracting. Shame on you, Duke. Clean it up and reach for something higher. The next time you write about Idaho, show some respect to yourself.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

After countless conversations with my boyfriend, weighing the pros and cons city life vs. life in northern Idaho, I could not have read this book at a better time. It was a laugh-out-loud, entertaining and fun read! Whether you'll find this book as entertaining as I did might depend on your familiarly with Norther Idaho. Because I could identify with so many situations he described, I could not stop laughing at certain parts. The author does jump around a bit with the subject matter, but, overall, a solid 4-star book for the many laughs!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny small town insights, language warning for prudes 😂
Not a fan of "Ho" as a reference but I get it for marketing?

[deb waldman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seemed much longer than it is

I really wanted to like this book and was looking forward to becoming enchanted with life in the Idaho panhandle. But I was bored and found myself flipping many pages without reading them. Didn't enjoy the frequent use of course words and describing people negatively. Sorry but 2 stars is a stretch and gave this rating because at least it didn't have typos.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

In spite of the title's promise, this book is just not that funny. This family moves to a small town where people are kooky. Okay. He gets a job in retail and finds customers annoying. His dog poops a lot and is not very smart. His teenage boys like Taco Bell. His family does six loads of laundry a week. Please. I have my own boring life to live, why am I reading about someone else's?

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently, I'm still reading this book. Having moved from a large urban setting to a rural on within the past several years, I find that a lot of Duke's experiences intersect with mine. It's an enjoyable read!

[Pamela Saylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give the book just a 3 star rating because, I moved to northern Idaho four years ago and know of Sandpoint. I thought the author would have some insights into why and how people live up here. I think perhaps instead, he brought his California/Austin mindset with him. I didn't appreciate the profanity that the children were allowed to utter by the parents, however, each set of parents raise their children differently.

[Emily Colson Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is utter garbage. I'm from Idaho (or the 'hO as it maybe) and this author is the type of person we don't like here. He isn't funny. He wasn't a good writer and his editor failed miserably throughout because there were many typos and grammatical errors. I'm glad this was on Kindle Unlimited, I'd be mad if I paid for this junk.

[Cheryl Lyn Kaessinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and Poignant

Easy to read. Hilarious! The descriptions and adjectives are creative. And dead on....I live 30 miles north of Sandpoint!
Duke....Please write another book about anything!

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not finish. 2.5 stars for the 1/3 I read. Thought it would be amusing since I too moved to the Idaho Panhandle in the early aughts, but I became bored quickly. Did have some funny parts particularly the problems with getting a good haircut and the scary off-road vehicle story.

[Tina Fife · Rating 2 out of 5]

14 years ago I moved to Idaho which sparked my interest in reading this book. Initially a humorous and self-deprecating read, it grew tired and monotonous half-way through and I eventually stopped reading around 70%.

[Mary Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, makes me want to move to Sandpoint!

[Jylana Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just moved from the Bay Area in California to Idaho for our retirement (and loving it here), I enjoyed Duke Diercks' book very much, especially the first two and the last two chapters. He is a good writer. Now that he has this autobiography out of the way, I hope he writes fiction. I would have given four stars to this book if he had not used the "F***" word in all its various incarnations so frequently. I don't have a problem with the use of that word when it serves a purpose and even then - a little goes a long way in a book. His last two chapters show how much better he writes without the "F***" word. I'm looking forward to reading his next book.

[Toni Mcintire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duke Diercks so have a wonderful way of putting words together. But, sadly, it did not keep my attention well and I would put the book down after a couple of pages. Since it was autobiographical there was no plot line to keep an interest to see how the plot played out. If he were to write a non fiction I might read another one of his books. This was a Goodreads win. I would have been greatly disappointed if I had actually paid to buy the book. I do not like to give a bad review so I will say that he does have a creative way of expressing himself.

[Monique Diekroeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely laugh out loud funny! I have not burst out laughing so much reading a book EVER. Dierck's comedic writing style is perfect. He makes you feel like you are right there watching these real life situations with his hilarious descriptions. I am an avid reader and read everything humorous I can get me hands on. This was a quick and immensely enjoyable read. Laughter is the best medicine!

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure about "hilarious," but this book is not without its observational and scenic amusements, similar to an extended holiday letter from an articulate relative. Quite a few of the episodes are as much about the author and his family as about the exurban locale. I downgraded my rating when the author described the kitchen employees under his supervision at his first institutional food service job in Idaho using a b-list epithet.

[Pj Gaumond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I laughed and it brought back memories for me too. Anyone that has done many different jobs will most certainly appreciate some of the comic things that have happened.
I want Duke to know contrary to his inscription in my copy that I most certainly did NOT lower my standards and if you write another book I would most certainly read it.
My copy of this book had 231 pages and not the 149 as stated by Goodreads. I did win this copy through Goodreads.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways. Such a GREAT surprise. Diercks has a great sense of humor and way with words. He describes "small town living" in a way that strikes home with anyone who has had a sojourn in such a place. It's salty, perceptive and philosophical all wrapped into one. I recommend it as a terrific personal read - particularly if the reader is pondering a move to the more remote sanctuaries of the USA (or world?).

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, engaging read. I felt like I could relate to the author's twisted humor about ordinary life because everything he says is so true! I really liked The Coldwater Creek and Brisket chapters. I like how he brought all the stories together at the end with a deep reflection of his journey adjusting to small town life wih his family.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, easy read!

Very entertaining to read - love the authors writing style (he writes how he speaks) and sense of humor. Giggled throughout the whole thing, great easy weekend read!

[Geraldine Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious look at the crazy whims of life. This is a cleverly written book about family life and the random path it can take. Diercks makes even the mundane details stand out with humor and wit! I fully enjoyed it!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great humor

A must for any big city slicker moving to a small town. It was comical through every chapter. At times I thought it was about my own life, as we moved from big city CA to small town USA.

[Elizabeth Seymour · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hilarious" is a lot to live up to, but Diercks' book really is. He is clearly a fabulous storyteller, and his skill fortunately translates into writing really well. This jack-of-all-trades doesn't miss a beat, and relays the details of his experiences with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

[Dan Lamers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Witty and humorous. Reminds you that life is full of ups and downs, and that real life, as boring as we may think it is, can be pretty entertaining. Plus, isn't it always fun to laugh at other people!

[Chris Testani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this funny story and the quirky life experiences of this author. And, despite the brutal honesty of some of the flaws of small town living, the author's fondness and appreciation for the "road less travelled" in this community is obvious. Have a good laugh with this book!

[Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and touching.

As a Sandpoint local, I enjoyed reading from Duke's perspective of the local economy, people and some very entertaining back stories.

[Lynn Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read.

[Vickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

was an ok book. Had a few chuckles. But the language was not for younger readers

[brenda glasspool · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

A big NO. this book goes on and on and on (get the picture) and never launches or lands .