Still Life with Chickens
Starting over in a house by the sea: A memoir
by Catherine Goldhammer
"I did not have a year in Provence or a villa under the Tuscan sun..." So starts Catherine Goldhammer's charming and
inspirational story of life after divorce. With a pre-teen in tow, she heads for a new life. Oh, and of course, with
a half-dozen baby chickens in tow as well! With each step on her new path, she finds uniqueness and a way to
redefine who she is and what she wants from life.
Anyone with experience with any of the struggles that Goldhammer faces will love her attitude and poetic approach
to hardship. If you have owned chickens, had a pre-teenager, been divorced, or faced the menopausal years, this
wonderful tale is for you.
The house she finds is shabby - and NOT of the variety called "shabby chic!" Instead it is small, cramped,
dirty and full of frustrations. Each step of the way is fraught with mistakes, battle wounds (including a huge bag
of drywall dropped on Catherine's leg) and the continuing saga of raising six tiny chicks, hopefully, to adulthood.
The chickens become the parable that defines the writer's life, and, as she invests herself into Dragonfly Farm,
she finds the neighbors intriguing, the challenges funny, and the changes in herself and her daughter encouraging.
It is so great to read a story that, while it parallels many women's lives, brings a good feeling to the reader and
a sense that despite all of life's variety, it is worth living. |
The Book |
Plume: A division of The Penguin Group |
April 2007 |
Paperback |
978-0452288485 |
Memoir, autobiography |
More at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
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The Reviewer |
Laura Strathman Hulka |
Reviewed 2007 |
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