Gone to Pot

by Jennifer Craig

After losing her job and learning she might also lose her house because of a bad investment, Jess, a fiercely independent and hilariously wry BC grandma, resorts to growing pot in her basement to make ends meet. She then has to juggle her public life as a grandmother and member of the town’s senior women’s group – The Company of Crones – with her secret life as a pot grower. The unusual characters she meets along the way include Swan, the enigmatic young woman who introduces her to the grower’s world, and Marcus, the socially awkward “gardener” who shows her the tricks of the trade. Both of her new young friends are more than they appear, and Jess’ adventures in pot growing break down barriers in both her old and new circles. The delightful outcome of an almost legitimate business leaves Jess and her associates flushed with success.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Humor, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2017

Reviews

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Now that was a fun book to read. It was published in 2017 and since then marijuana has become legal. It was fun watching Jess go through the steps to grow her own plants and to yield a good crop to harvest. This book is proof that "old crones" can do something useful. It was funny, and it had great dialogue with the "buddies". There are growing tips and this would be great for a summer read. Check it out and have some fun. A 5 star rating from me!

[Claudette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! Jess, in her 60's, loses her job when the cafe at which she is waitressing burns down. When she can't find another job, mostly due to her age, she starts a grow-op in her basement with the help of some zany friends. The whole book is just delightful. Funny, witty, with great dialogue. I couldn't stop laughing at the "Crones" meetings, and their conversation. Heartwarming, and a great summer read!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a fun read with a great message - people don't become useless because they age. I loved the character of Jess, an independent grandma who, without many options, decides to grow pot in her basement to support herself. While breaking the law is out of character for her, talking to her little buds and hanging a poster in the grow room to inspire them is very much Jess. She is not a passive participant in this new venture, instead she learns all she can to have the best plants possible, including experimenting with a male enhancement drug to increase their strength and size. If you're looking for a funny, inspiring story, or for tips on growing marijuana, give it a read.

[Magdelanye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea was preposterous. Of course it was. P56

Considering that this book was written not so long ago, it seems coyly anachronistic and the shocking premise rather commonplace. On the other hand, there are likely still people out there who are so righteously disconnected that they may find some surprises here.

What was the worst that could happen?
....I'd end up with a criminal record but so what at my age? Better than ending up a starving bag lady who had to use food banks. P77

Those with more practical experience may question the disingenuous approach and find it beyond credibilty that there is so little smoking going on between the .pages. And for those not in the know, Nelson was at one time a haven for the conterculture. I am pretty sure that the whole town could tell a pot plant from a chrysanthemum.

Nevertheless, this was a fun, lighthearted look at social deviance and societal shortcomings; the assumptions we make without much evidence and the gratification of pushing your envelope. JC slips in her social commentary so casually it is easy to agree with her, and she captures succinctly the greatest fears of those facing their mortality on their own.


What a burden that is for people, wondering how to pay their bills, how to feed their kids, worrying about employment. Surely our wealthy society could do better thant to tolerate the appalling percentage of children who grew up in poverty and have so many people without a home. And women of my age ...who have looked after everyone...why should they end their days struggling to make ends meet? P208

If you can bear the preposterously cheerful tone, or if you are seriously in need of it, you may have as much fun reading this book as the author intended, with or without a little help from our buddies.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bright story, funny, with heartwarming characters who carry the sometimes too convenient near misses and the occasional discrepancy in the action. Excellent details on the plant growing set-up, and the endearing protagonist all add up to an enjoyable read.

[Caroline Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess is a feisty woman in her mid-sixties, a longtime waitress and divorced mother of two adult children. She is also a feminist, a Yorkshirewoman transplanted to a mountain town, Nelson, in British Columbia and she has just seen her workplace go up in flames. "Well, bugger that for a lark!" as Jess would say in her salty-tongued fashion. Options for employment are limited to begin with but as Jess searches, cutting down her meals to one a day with tea and toast to stave off the hunger pangs, she realizes she cannot abide accepting the invitation of her son and chilly daughter-in-law to move into a 'granny suite' and become a full-time babysitter and because she views her modest home as her sanctuary of peace and privacy, she really does not want to start renting out her spare bedroom either. She is not quite old enough to receive her old age pension and she has no savings. She is looking at her belongings with an eye to what might sell and comes to the conclusion that shabby suits her and chic never entered into it. She will not part with her Grandmother's cameo brooch, adorned with the head of Ceres, goddess of agriculture either.

Enter vibrant, pierced, young Swan, another waitress from the ill-fated restaurant, who casually introduces Jess to the underground world of cannabis horticulture, which in this case means the basement of her home. Jess does the math, considers her green thumbs, gets her basic groceries from the Food Bank, and enjoys good laughs with the Crones, a group of aging women who are the heart and soul of the book...and makes the calculated leap to illegal self-sufficiency.

This is one of those books that had me laughing at the start of a paragraph and feeling choked up by the end of it, or vice versa. Poverty, dignity, dementia, incontinence, hypochondria, over-medicated lives, ageism and sexism are all dealt with but Craig is a very witty and engaging writer with a deft hand at sorting out the tragedy from the comedy. She is also an astute observer of human foibles including those of her major and minor characters, each of whom are highly memorable. The research seems impeccable (but what do I know?!) and the ending is so perfect I will not spoil it for anyone. If this book isn't nominated for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in Canada, I will personally stride over the Rockies, across the prairies and the interminable Canadian Shield and kick some asses in Ontario on this book's behalf! NEWS FLASH! Over 70 witty Canadian books were nominated by their publishers for the $15,000 Leacock Medal and this book WON!!

[Radwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Breaking Bad but with an old grandma, and minus all action and intensity. This is such a happy feel-good book that sometimes I forgot it's about a grandma who grows marijuana in her basement after being out of money.

What this book lacked in my opinion is climax and change of pace, the supposed climax wasn't intense and the book kept the same pace from beginning to end. I was disappointed in the humor, the whole reason I came across this book and planned to read is because it won an award for humorous writing, and the humor was okay at best, not that remarkable.

I liked the character of Jess, I would love to become as lively and independent as her when I'm at her age, and I loved the people she knew through growing. Her relationship with her family was ridiculous at times, and I was a little bored with the flow of information about growing and how to maintain pot plants and so on. It just wasn't an aspect of the story I was interested in, despite its importance.

I loved the mix of older and younger people, but at most it was an okay book, didn't blow me away, had the same pace and I wasn't excited at any point during reading it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book club selection that hit its mark. There will be much to discuss about ageism, entrepreneurship, friendships, family dynamics, aging in place and nursing homes, biases and, of course, the business of marijuana growing. Jess worked in a restaurant for years when suddenly she loses her job. She is having difficulty finding a new one due to her age and the biases of others about her ability. She is getting desperate because she can’t even afford food. While she doesn’t want to be a criminal, she is given help to start her new business. I enjoyed the humour and light heartedness to this story. I rooted for Jess and all the Crones. The story is set in Nelson, BC. I’m looking forward to the book club discussion. Read it!

[Melissa]

Read like an elderly person written by a young person (despite having been written by an elderly person). Wasn't buying the character.

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pot Fluff!! I’ve never been one for the alternative substance scene but this book was absolutely delightful – even if it is practically a step by step manual on how to grow pot indoors. Jess is like any typical grandma – wanting to fiercely maintain her independence while trying to find her place in society. Unfortunately, ageism is something we will all need to deal with – not only in the job market but also by society in general.

What I loved: Jess’ spunk and willingness to try something she’s never really done before show that if you can keep your mind open to new things and are always willing to learn you’ll never be old. I loved how she wasn’t afraid to ask questions of those in the know, and was willing to try something new using old methods (Mendel’s genetics) to enhance her current situation. I guess there’s hope for us all..

What I didn’t love: Amy is kind of a buzz kill for daughter-in-laws and is pretty much downright annoying. I would have loved more on her backstory or even why Jess divorced her hubs all those years ago. And how could there not be a recipe???

What I learned: How to grow pot – good thing its now legal here in California!

Overall Grade: B

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read - Saving Grace meets DIY at the Hort Club. A Loan Stars pick for sure.

[Geraldine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, witty and very entertaining! Jess was such a cool character. Her willingness to try something as insane as a grow-op is great. I wouldn't mind having this woman as my grandmother. The group of friends that she surrounded herself with were an interesting bunch and they varied in age/personality, for sure. The antagonist was Jess' daughter-in-law that I hated from the start.

There was a lot of humor which made the book all the more easy to fly through it. It was fascinating that the author knew so much about a grow-op. Great quick read.


Thanks to NetGalley and Second Story Press!

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful and entertaining, this is a romp through the trials and tribulations of growing pot in your home. As an out of work grandma, Jess has very limited options for income. Her adventures in growing just the right plant are endlessly humorous and enchanting. You will be cheering for her! Recommended.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember when I read this exactly, as I read it as part of my internship at Second Story Press, but I absolutely loved it. It was a hilarious and enjoyable read about an older lady tending to her own grow-op.

[Ankur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book by it's quirky premise. As I started reading it, I was skeptical for the first few chapters, but soon I was hooked and fell in love with all the characters. I really enjoyed all of the different characters in this story, and the warmth of the friendships developed between the main character and some of the "Crones" put a smile on my face.

A very cute lighthearted read. Highly recommend this one.

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read :)

[Dale Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really funny book about an elderly woman who decides to grow pot. I imagined my deceased mother as being this elderly woman as I read the book and I laughed and laughed.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, and now I know how to grow pot - sort of. This was our pick for Bookclub, but I think, if we were going for humour, there might have been more suitable choices.

[KD Grainger-Peixoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a read! Gone to Pot was charmingly clever, witty, and full to bursting with laugh out loud situational humor. Even better, there was some real depth in the narrative - from allusions to euthanasia, philosophical ramblings about morality versus legality, and out right ageism - and I learnt a lot about my own preconceptions about "older" people.

To that effect, I think the author achieved a wonderful balance between pointing out preconceptions about what it means to age, and misconceptions about what it means to be young. Jess, the protagonist, for instance, made assumptions about the young people helping her with her illegal hobby that turn out to be as incorrect as the assumptions that Jess's daughter-in-law made about her. This balance removed some of the condescension that aggravates me (as a young person) from narratives of this nature.

Also. The cast of characters are well developed, diverse, and refreshingly relatable.

The only criticisms I would make is that the novel only brushed the surface of the morality versus legality debate when it comes to marijuana. Jess thinks various philosophical thoughts to that effect but its nit fully developed in a satisfying way.

Oh. And, that being involved in something illegal (whether or not you believe that action is morally defensible) is ultimately worth the risk. This seems like a one-sided argument.

Ultimately, this is a quirky, humorous and fun read that is definitely worth the time invested.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Definite book club choice!

[Dianne Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jess is a 64 year old granny who works asa waitress until the restaurant burns down. With no one willing to hire someone her age her former co-worker, Swan, convinces her to start a grow-op in her basement. A friend of Swan's, Marcus, help get it all started and does the selling of the dope.

In between Jess meets with a group of ladies called "The Crones" who remind me of the Lovely Library Ladies group I meet from Yorkville Library. But I digress. Jess ' son figures out what she's doing almost immediately and. bless him, says nothing. He even tells his uptight wife, Amy, where to go when she figures it out and wants to call the police and cut Jess off from her grandchildren.

In the end, by adding a secret ingredient, Jess makes enough money to open a tea room where her friends, the Crones, work part time as bakers and wait staff. Their specialty is brownies with a certain herb in them.

A fun summer read.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a clever and genuinely funny book. Jess was such an endearing protagonist and I loved the Crones! What a great cast of characters. It had a lot of depth to it too, confronting issues of ageism, poverty, sexism, euthanasia and legalization. The author also really seemed to do her research! I loved the focus on women, and on the usefulness and well-roundedness of people of all ages. A great quick summer read, but with more to it than meets the eye.

[Anne Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a humourous novel – although David Sedaris is my favourite writer, I seek a laugh in both my fiction and non-fiction reading whenever possible. When I came across the 2018 winner of The Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in a Second Story Press catalogue, I requested it right away. Gone to Pot by Jennifer Craig is quirky story about an aging woman who finds herself struggling to make money, so she turns to growing marijuana for a steady cash flow. My international readers should take note: pot was legalized across Canada in 2018, but this book was released before that new law came into place, so the plot is based on the idea that the protagonist is participating in an illegal act. This is critical to the humour in the book, so keep that in mind if you pick it up.

Plot Summary

Jess lives in Nelson, British Columbia, a hippie town that hosts a wild music festival each year and a fairly young population, so weed is commonly grown and consumed there. She’s older and divorced. I don’t recall her exact age ever being mentioned, but based on her activities and complaints, I would guess she’s in her early or late sixties. The diner where she worked as a waitress burns down, and she’s without a job. Finding it nearly impossible to gain employment competing with a younger task force, a waitressing friend suggests Jess consider growing pot in her basement because she owns her own house and can easily hide it. She’s connected with a young guy in the town who helps people build the growing operations in their homes, and with the advice of these new friends and some internet searches, Jess begins growing weed for sale. She is terrified of getting caught, but having very little money, even resorting to using the food bank a few times, she feels she has no other choice. She has one grown son who makes a good income and offers to take her in in exchange for her free babysitting services, but Jess is an independent woman and hates the idea of giving up her own home. Plus, she’s got a fantastic green thumb, which is more than the kids who hooked her up in the first place can say.

My Thoughts

I was a tad disappointed in the humour of this book, because i typically appreciate a good zinger in dialogue, or a character who has hilarious internal dialogue (like this book). Instead, the humour of this novel is found in the situation itself (a granny growing weed!) and the quirky old gals Jess hangs around with, called The Company of Crones. Her monthly meetings with them are surprisingly fun, even though they do lament about their old age, their medical issues, and life changes that would generally be considered depressing if they weren’t all so optimistic and lighthearted in disposition.

Despite the lack of LOLs I got from this novel, I did really enjoy its depiction of life at this age, and the struggles a single woman in particular will have if she’s got little money, but lots of life left to live. Jess is a generous woman, and part of the problem she has with visiting the food bank is a level of guilt that she isn’t able to contribute to it anymore. She’s also ashamed that she has little to bring to her son’s house to contribute to a meal, so she spends time baking with the dry goods from the food bank to appear as though she isn’t strapped for cash. Jess worries about the young woman she befriends through her new gardening endeavour, and tries to act as a sympathetic sounding board for her other friends’ troubles as much as possible. And she adores her grandchildren, looking forward to playing with them and doing fun things their parents don’t approve of. Also important to note is there is no love interest for Jess, and no wishful thinking there was either. She’s happy being alone, which is a refreshing (and I suspect realistic) take on life at this age that we don’t often hear about.

I could have done without a bit less detail on the mechanics of growing pot, the descriptions of preparing Jess’s home for this crop is clearly well-researched and simple to understand, but it didn’t do much to move the plot forward. Instead, I would have liked to dive deeper into the mysteries behind Jess’s son and his complicated marriage, but this book would have likely lost of some its light-heartedness if it got too into the weeds of these relationships. Some threads remain loose by the end of the story, but Jess’s situation improves, and the extent of her green thumb reaches an impressive crescendo by the end (if you read the book, you will chuckle at my choice of words here). It’s a unique premise and storyline that you don’t see often, so I appreciate the bravery of Craig to approach these complicated topics in such a playful way.

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[Doug Lewars · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

Gone to Pot isn’t a bad book but it’s up for an Evergreen Award and it certainly isn’t award material. The plot involves an elderly woman who finds herself out of work and can’t get a job due to her age; so, faced with imminent poverty she turns to starting a marijuana grow-op in her basement. The plot is a little thin and, as a result, the author had to pad the book a bit – in this case, with what amounts to a fairly comprehensive reference manual regarding the growing of pot. Since I’m not particularly interested in that particular subject, I found it rather boring in some places. I did learn, however, that there’s an awful lot of work in managing a grow-op so I suppose that if the author was attempting to dissuade readers from trying it she certainly succeeded in my case.

The principle character is an older woman, self-reliant, fiercely independent, innovative and frugal – all attributes I can relate to; however, I found the heavy-handed way in which the author promoted any number of politically-correct ‘causes’ to be tedious in the extreme. It was as if she started with a list and proceeded to check off each ideological point as she came to it. Every individual has biases which means that every author has them too and it’s fine to express values in a story but it’s important to either let the reader discover them for him or herself or to exaggerate them to such an extreme that the story become satire. In this case it was merely annoying.

There isn’t a villain per se in the novel; however, the daughter-in-law is painted as being extremely conservative, rather repressed and exceedingly focussed on rules – not only laws but correct parenting, correct housekeeping and, in general, correct living. So when this individual discovers the protagonist’s secret she naturally reacts negatively; however, nothing comes of the clash. Threatened with the breakup of her marriage she chooses to keep the secret and eventually comes to forgive and forget. I found that rather unrealistic. Still this is a work of fiction so perhaps realism can, and should be set aside. Nevertheless, by the time I reached that stage in the story, I found myself cheering for the daughter-in-law because the protagonist had become so annoying.

Read this book if you want. It’s not bad. It’s not great. It has a happy – or perhaps maudlin ending. I’ve read far worse but I’ve also read an awful lot better.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A destitute grandmother is forced into an nontraditional business venture and ends up dealing with much more than she bargained for, in Gone to Pot, by Jennifer Craig.

The novel opens with protagonist Jess discovering the she’s lost her waitressing job, thanks to a kitchen fire. Distraught, Jess then learns that a bad business investment may force her to lose her house as well. Grown accustomed to self-sufficiency in the years since her divorce, she does not solicit help from her ineffectual son, Jason, or his boorish wife, Amy, instead opting to take matters into her own hands and start a grow-op within the confines of her basement.

Aided by former coworker Swan and “gardener” Marcus, Jess’s life changes rapidly, leaving her to balance her public roles as a grandmother and as a member of the town’s senior women’s group, The Company of Crones, and her private life as a drug manufacturer.

Gone to Pot is an entertaining read, thanks largely to Craig’s dynamic writing style. Characters all differ greatly from each other in age and disposition, but dialogue is well parsed and believable, Craig making the seamless transition between voices look easy. Despite the largely humorous tone of the book, Craig also manages to explore many complex ideas, such as the rampant ageism that many older people face, as well as extreme flaws in medical and governmental systems that force people into illegal endeavors either to make ends meet or to find some relief for chronic pain.

Another enticing feature of the book is its sleek layout. Section breaks within chapters are also well chosen, and the dividing image is that of a small pot leaf, a decision that aids the humorous tone of the novel without becoming excessive.

Though the protagonist is a grandmother, Gone to Pot is a great read for any age, reminding us that the elderly can be vibrant, active, and involved.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting reading this book post legalization of marijuana, but I did enjoy the read.

I found protagonist/narrator Jess to be engaging and often funny. I enjoyed her spirit and her willingness to try new things even when they were outside her comfort zone, and in most cases in this story illegal at the time.

The cast of characters around Jess added diversity and balance to the story, which is an asset because this book is more character- than plot-driven. I enjoyed the contrast of Jess's uptight daughter-in-law, eccentric friends in the growing world, and easy camaraderie among her group of Crones (as they are self-named in the book).

For me, there were a few irritations that took away from the story, largely that it had temperature in Fahrenheit and colour and behaviour with no u's - the book was written by a Canadian and set in Canada so why write it as if it were in the US? Another part, however, was really problematic, but since it involves the book's ending, I have hidden it. Seriously?!? In Jess's cafe they serve people brownies with marijuana in them and do not tell anyone?!?? That is truly reprehensible. I kept thinking about all of those people - e.g. surgeons, firefighters, cops, etc. whose lives, and those around them, might be endangered if these people showed up to work high, especially if they did not know they were high. And what of people who must take random drug tests for their jobs? Or those who must take random drug tests for other reasons - athletes, parolees, etc.? Serving people drugs without their knowledge is just plain wrong.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read. I am sad that my library has no other books by this author. But, I think I will put in a request for some of Craig's other work.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is either a clever, cute book about an older woman making it in a world where they are not respected, and it is hard to find traditional work, or else this is a manual on how to grow pot in your basement. I haven't quite decided which.

The story takes place in Nelson, BC, and follows what happens to Jess, an older woman, when she loses her waitressing job because the cafe she worked at burned down. The author is basing a lot of Jess's background on her own background, which is fun, because it does make her a more interesting character. From the amount of detail that is put into the book about how to do a grow, it makes it sound as though she has done quite a bit of research on the matter.

The people in the book are realistic. The town, which is real, is described quite well, and even though I don't feel like growing pot in my basement, I enjoyed the trails and tribulations of doing so. I loved her group of friends, and feel that it is important to have stories where we see the sorts of problems that older women go through.

Not quite sure who would enjoy the book. It isn't YA. It is being marketed as general fiction, but I think it is more women's fiction. Quick read. It is somewhere between a three and a half and a four star.


Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for making this book available for an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess is between a rock and a hard place. She has been working for years as a waitress in a small town in BC but then the restaurant where she has been working burns down and she is without a job. She is a grandmother but prospective employers view her as too old. Her son and daughter-in-law suggest she moves in with them but she fears her independence will disappear and she will become a built-in babysitter. She needs a financial income and fast. Then she discovers she could earn money growing pot! A delightful story with a main character who is willing to be adventurous and think 'outside of the box'!

[Kari Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventurous ride to read that I recently found on the 'New Books' shelf in our library with a "Local Author" tag on it (She lives in Nelson, I live in nearby Castlegar) This book is full of interesting characters taking chances and adapting to life circumstances. No reason not to give this book five stars. The author's bio (via her website) indicates her being an ex-nurse as well as developing nursing ed. programs. Her blog writing is interesting & reveals info into AIDS which includes untruths to much of what the public knows about this disease.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jess is a middle-aged woman who loses her job when the cafe where she works burns down. In addition, she loses her investments. Unable to find another job because of her age, she has to rely on the food bank. The idea of growing marijuana piques her interest and becomes a challenging endeavor. Jess is introduced to a whole new culture and some interesting people, some of whom she thought she knew. It is a unusual story with some humor and certainly a book which would stimulate a good discussion at a book club meeting.