A classic month-by-month guide to getting the most of living in the country
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"'ONE OF THOSE ENTHUSIASTS WHOSE ENTHUSIASM IS HARD TO RESIST . . . ALWAYS BEGUILING' DAILY MAIL "
Synopsis
As lockdown has caused us all to reevaluate our lives, becoming more self-reliant and living in closer harmony with nature have emerged as important priorities. Many of us have even decided to up sticks and leave the city behind for a less frenetic existence in the country.
To mark this, we are re-issuing Tom Hodgkinson’s classic month-by-month guide to getting the most of living in the country in a handy small hardback format.
If you have just made the move, are planning to do so soon (or just dream of doing it one day) this is the perfect book for you.
Originally published as Brave Old World in 2011, this handsome pocket edition has a new introduction by Tom and a foreword by actor Dominic West - a man who swallowed Tom's advice whole and made the move back to the land. It is also illustrated throughout by artist Alice Smith's beautiful black and white montages and drawings.
Covering everything from bee-keeping, poultry rearing, pig farming, bread baking, wood- chopping, fire-laying, bartering, home-schooling and much more, How to Live in the Country is the perfect source of inspiration for old hands and beginners alike: useful, informative but also refreshingly honest and realistic.
Tom Hodgkinson draws on the wisdom of an eclectic range of thinkers and writers as he guides us through each month of the year, giving lists of tasks for both garden and animal husbandry, offering tips and short-cuts, and weaving in stories about his own experience of raising a young family in rural Devon.
My Review
Lockdown affected so many of us in thinking of new ways in which to tackle not only our daily lives but the very future of how we want to live.
As a family we craved space and the outside we loved our garden and fantasied how wonderful it would be to move to the countryside.
We grew veg for the first time with our children, I have never been more proud of some tomatoes and runner beans!
I had genuinely crazy conversation with my husband about getting Chickens! They would be named after famous crime characters Sherlock, Morry for Maoriaty, Mrs Marple, Barnaby for midsummer murders, and of course Cagney & lacey crazy yet true but don't think out cat and dog would be too happy!
We also loved the Clarkson's Farm show, so when the option to read and review this book came around I could not wait so different from my usual reads I was utterly fascinated with this Monthly guide, almanac and diary all in one
As Tom took on on a journey through the countryside. From growing veg and fruit to pig farming, chickens, wood chopping, baking, harvesting and everything in between we follow along through Toms year his guide intertwined with delightful events from his own family life.
I found this guide entrancing in a captivating way instead of my usual thriller fascination I was hooked on the monthly events, what came next how would that work could I even do that?
I really enjoyed the conversations this read brought and the realisation to the country life my family and I so covert!
The perfect gift for any gardener and country lover!
Author Bio
About the Author Tom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of The Idler and the author of bestselling books including How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Business for Bohemians.
In 2014, after more than a decade in rural Devon, he and his wife Victoria Hull returned to London and established The Idler Academy, which hosts literary events and offers online courses in academic and practical subjects including philosophy, calligraphy, music, business skills, English grammar, public speaking, dancing, drawing and self-defence.
Blog Tour
Thank you to the Publisher and Author for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel and for the opportunity to review these works.
All reviews are my own unbiased opinion.