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The Call Of The Farm (2014)

by Rochelle Bilow(Favorite Author)

3.2 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

161519214X (ISBN13: 9781615192144)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

The Experiment

review 1: I really enjoyed reading this book and found her experiences to be both interesting, funny, uncomfortable (in a good way) and alluring. I love the idea of living on a farm, and it was great to read more about hard work and the issue of getting along with your crew. I think the two things that were done best in Bilow's memoir were: a) exploring her touch and go relationship with farmer Ian. Bilow does a fantastic job of showing the reader her insecurities and opening up about the tough truth about falling in love with someone who isn't ready to commit to you. b) This book made me want to cook ALL THE THINGS. Bilow is most confident and specific in her writing when the topic is on food, cooking and where the food comes from, which makes sense since she is a food writer and t... morerained cook. Her descriptions of the chaotic farm kitchen, pots of coffee on the stove and communal meals made me miss the earthy crunchy camp I went to and worked at for many years. It is a different way of living and she did a great job of describing that divide between "town" life and farm life. I wish she had gone into the farming tasks with as much clarity as her cooking. She spends a lot of time worrying she isn't doing a great job, but then feeling good about challenging herself. I loved this and wish she took it further. The book lacked a satisfying reslolution. How has farming changed her for the better? How has it influenced her confidence, career, relationships and happiness? Since she was still grieving about Ian at the end of the book, it would have been nice to jump 3 or 5 months in the future so she could reflect more on her experiences. What was it exactly that she loved about farming? About cooking on a farm? About being in relationship with a farmer? I guess I was just craving some more self-reflection at the end of this very interesting experience.
review 2: How quickly I read a book is usually an indication of how much I enjoy it; I read this one in just two days. Although it took a couple of chapters for me to feel connected to Bilow enough to be committed to the story, the author gives a believable -- and sincere -- account of her experience as a chef living and working for a year on a CSA farm in central New York. The narrative sometimes gets weighed down by the author's fixation on her co-worker and lover, Ian, but her earnestness, authenticity, and vulnerability make her someone you can't help but admire, connect to, and root for. The author is adept at descriptive writing; her depictions of the smells, sights, and struggles involved in living and working on a farm -- and the food and meals that are an intricate part of this experience -- transport the reader. But from time to time, the writing gets a bit lazy and is laced with cliches (I've never met so many characters who wink when they speak to one another, which nobody does in real life). Bilow's seasonal recipes embellish the story nicely. Overall, this memoir about the courage and grit it takes to learn and grow in both life and love is an engaging, enjoyable, and highly entertaining read. less

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