Growing Goats and Girls: Living the Good Life on a Cornish Farm - ESCAPISM AT ITS LOVELIEST

by Rosanne Hodin

'a delightful and funny memoir of her family's crazy life in the English countryside. Perfect escapist reading for these locked-down times.' - SALMAN RUSHDIE

'a heartwarming tale of country living' - SUNDAY EXPRESS

'a charming memoir and a perfect choice for these unsettling times' - DEVON LIFE

'A total joy... enchanting, hilarious and vivid... Beautifully written, richly informative...' - LIZ CALDER

'A gem ... A heart-warming memoir of moving to the glorious Cornish countryside and taking up farming is the perfect antidote to city life.' - NIKOLA SCOTT

"A love letter to the British countryside...a wonderfully earthy story of fresh Cornish air...an adventure from start to finish." - TOWN & COUNTRY

"A light-hearted account of 30 years of trial and error on a Cornish farm...I loved every minute..." - SAGA

Ever dream of packing up and escaping to a simpler life on the land, just the Cornish landscape and a few cows and goats rising up to greet you each day? When Rosanne and her husband left city life for the Cornwall idyll they knew little of farming, the seasons and milking; but over time they found their way, rising to each new challenge and embracing all that the land gave them.

Growing Goats and Girls lovingly and invitingly charts the rural, hardworking and joyfully haphazard lives of Rosanne and her husband as they escape London to live off the land.

In their tumbled-down farmhouse in Cornwall, they learn to rear goats, chickens, cows, bees - and two children - get to grips with unruly machinery and cantankerous farmers, and chart the changing seasons in glorious countryside over thirty years.

Heart-warming and uplifting in its celebration of the simple things, this earthy portrait of life on the land taps into our collective imagination. After all, who hasn't dreamed of new beginnings, escaping into nature and living more simply.

Growing Goats and Girls reminds us to appreciate the fleeting, timeless moments of beauty, nature and the simple comforts of family life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Summer, Animals

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2020

Reviews

[Hannah Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely record of life on a Cornish smallholding. I really enjoyed the journal format and the way the characters - human and animal - unfolded. It was cheerful, interesting and a joy to read.

[Talia Van der wel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I say? I picked up the book off the library shelf purely on whim. I liked the cover and the title made me giggle. I have a rather sudden and fraught history with goats and I myself am raising four girls. It seemed like the book for me. Only I didn't actually pick it up to read at home for ages. I was too busy with my mystery thrillers and chasing said girls to give the book a second glance. Why did I even bring it home? Biographies are definitely not my thing. I picked it up anyway and sat in the window to read. Instantly the tears started. Uh oh. And then I read on. I couldn't put it down! I carried it around with me in public searching out little bits of time here and there when I could read more--only I quickly realized that this was not the book for reading in public as I'd constantly be in fits of giggles or gasping aloud reading Rosanne's tales of life on their farm. And here I am an hour after finishing the book weeping again at coming to the end of the book.

My favorite read in 2020. I look forward to reading it again.

[Samantha Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me in so many ways. the author presents farm life in a way we don’t often see anymore with Instagram and Pinterest. This is not a highlight reel of living on a Cornish farm. she tells you the truth about how difficult it can be to have and raise little babies, animals and maintain the land you’re on. I enjoyed all the glimmers of peaceful country life she spoke about and could see so vividly the happy family life she lived. I also grieved with her when they killed their animals to eat. I will miss hearing about the “ha-ha” and the ducks and her two little girls and wish I could stay in those glimmers of sunshine in a Cornish meadow just a little longer.


***TW:the opening to this book starts with mention of a misscarriage, it’s not graphic and is tastefully written but worth mentioning. It never comes back up after that first paragraph though.**

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure if I picked this book up *because* I want to own a hobby farm/b&b, or if I now want to own a hobby farm B&B because I read this book! Either way, it was a charming and delightful memoir. Not a hard-driving story line, just a sweet recollection of the good moments (and sometimes bad) of country living. Also charmingly British.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of thirty years of one family's life on a Cornish farm. It's well written, and while there are plenty of funny and heart-warming stories, Hodin also writes very clearly about the more messy, annoying and frustrating aspects of farm life.

The book is made up of short, unrelated anecdotes, each one being two or three paragraphs long. I wasn't a huge fan of this structure as I wanted a book I could read for longer stretches of time and found this format was difficult to read in large chunks, but if you are looking for a book you can pick up for 5 minutes and put down again, this would be perfect for you.

One major area of concern about the book: She frequently mentions her husband's volatile temper, and while there is no suggestion that he ever became physically violent, she does mention that she and the children had to leave home sometimes to get away from his extreme anger, but she presents this as if it is just a normal part of life. It might sound picky to hone in on this, but the problem is that a lot of people in abusive relationships don't realise they are abusive, and books like this just help to confirm their belief that violent anger is 'normal' and they need to put up with it. I don't know if she was exaggerating to try to make the book more interesting, but if a member of your household becomes so angry that you have to leave the house, that is a form of abuse, not something to turn into a funny story.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy I stumbled across this book. I have been reading bits of it over the last few months, and every time I opened it, I felt transported to the Cornish countryside. I appreciated the journal entry format spanning over multiple years. Reading little stories from different seasons, different ages in their daughters' development, different adventures with gardening, looking after animals, and learning how to run a farm. It brings up many different feelings as you read through some of the ups and downs in their journey. I found myself smiling and laughing often!

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Really wonderful. It was written in a way that reminded me of “The Comfort of Crows” but I liked this book and this author so much more. I loved the journal style and small snippets of experiences. It has me feeling like journaling for myself and my family can be a lot simpler and less factual than I’ve done in the past which is why I’ve mostly abandoned it. It also helped me feel more motivated to get to work around my own home and property. Sounds like they had a magical life on their farm with plenty of hard work too.

[Fleurtje Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book about cows and other creatures that will take your mind of this challenging time with covid going on. I couldn't get enough of Rosanne Hodin and her adventures that she describes with frankness: open, fearless and shameless! Lot of silliness that often had me chuckle.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

[Mrs Olga A Danes-Volkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

My forever favourite book

I shall return to this book again and again. Rosanne Hodin's memoir of 30 years farming/smallholding in Cornwall,is magic. Descriptive , evocative, loving, but never rose tinted or sentimental, this is a glorious, funny book.

I just hope that the whole family is still happy.
,

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of memories from life on a Cornish farm from the last seventies until early 2000’s. Rural and realistic it’s a delightful read about a fun family, their animals all set in a beautiful location. As a vicarious smallholder this was a really enjoyable read for me.

[Meredith Hooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way she writes. These funny mini essays had me on an emotional rollercoaster the whole time. The authenticity was so refreshing to read and it was so honest emotionally. In my opinion, it's best read slowly, a chapter at a time, and not just consumed all at once.

[Kim K! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book which was kinda sweet to be read these tales of their English farm. Sometimes I have a hard time with non fiction that seemingly has no purpose or “lesson” involved, but I still enjoyed the simplicity of just listening to these stories! But I had hoped for more I guess.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty fun read. I think "rollicking" is the word. fits the animal and the human portions of the book. Rosanne Hodin reminds me of Grace.
A little hard to stay invested for me since there was no ongoing plot, just little anecdotes

[Schlo Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wholesome little tale of self-sufficiency

[Sadie Geoghegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty, wholesome and entertaining easy read.

[Pat Morris-jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable book. Easy to read. Not too twee as we hear about her annoyances as well as the lovely things. Makes me appreciate my county.

[V.E.H. Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect fun and relaxing read. There's nothing like a book which makes you smile - a lot

[Holly W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book, enjoyable to read and gives you a real insight into what it takes to run a farm (or small holding).

[Terrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me want to get on Zoopla and find my own cottage to grow goats and my girl!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely memoir of a life well lived on a Cornish farm.

[Ashlea Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Mostly cozy memoir. The first person present was a bit difficult to read.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a light and joyful read!

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. Just life but relatable

[Macayla Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy, sweet read.

[flourgirl]

Nothing horrible to say about book. Just not holding my interest.

[Julia Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very relatable to my chaotic farm life (especially the tortoise). Loved the quirkiness of her family and her attitude on parenting!

[Lasea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very charming and lovely. I wasn't too keen on the way the book was written in short, fragmented pieces, but I really loved the content.