Playing in the Mud: An Amateur Farmer's Guide How Not to Farm

by Annette Fournier

Two alpacas fighting for the love of a llama; a goat convinced he is really a dog; rattlesnakes and roosters living on the porch and an emu run amok. When a couple and their children leave the suburbs to move to the Texas countryside and start a family farm, they don't expect just how messy - or how muddy - life will become. With her I.T.-guy-turned-farmer husband getting in over his head with big ideas, a rambunctious toddler playing tag with chickens, a special needs child riding "therapy donkeys", and a love for the culture of the South Texas countryside, Fournier spins a funny, enthralling tale of the misadventures, absurdities and joy of life as novice farmers. This book will leave you laughing and yearning to pack your bags and move to the country. Author's note: This book is a memoir, however the names and details of the people and some of the places within have been changed to protect people's privacy.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2018

Reviews

[Nicole Mulloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful series of short stories about a couple that leaves their 8-5 life in the suburbs to start a farm from scratch. It's funny and heartwarming, and the writing is exquisite. Fournier's characters, from her odd but lovable husband, to sweater baby, the orphaned lamb, are written so well, you know them like old friends by the end of the book.

[Mamareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a fascinating and positive book

This book is so well written that I felt I was on the farm along with this lovely family. I fell in love with the animals and also the family!