The Bottom Line
Jenna Woginrich takes readers on her journey towards greater self-sufficiency with honesty and charm. Her attempts to learn "homesteading" while working a full-time corporate job will inspire anyone who's ever thought "I should plant a garden" or "I wonder how to knit."
Pros
- Hard-won hands-on advice for people who want to add a bit of "homestead" to their life
- "Every little bit counts" take will encourage reluctant but interested readers
- Realistic account of work involved - especially of raising animals
- Great ideas for peope with limited space and/or limited time
- It's simply a fun read
Cons
- The tone may be a bit cutesty for some tastes
- As a memoir-focused book, it only covers topics the author pursued
Description
- Charming story of one woman's search for independence from consumer culture
- Covers gardening, sewing, cooking, raising chickens and rabbits, beekeeping, training work dogs, and playing music
- Tons of ideas and resources for people looking to eat super locally -- from their own backyard or deck
Guide Review - Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life
Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life has a most fitting title. The book is part memoir, part handy guide. Jenna Woginrich recounts her motivations for living a more self-sufficient life with clarity and thoughtfulness. In the process she reveals her many hard-won lessons - from breaking sod to killing an injured rabbit - with warmth and humor. Readers are encouraged to learn from Woginrich's missteps and mistakes, and draw inspiration from her many successes.
Once readers get excited about a specific project - sewing, gardening, preserving - there is a wealth of resources in the back of the book for readers to pursue their own interests.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
