Review: Home to Woefield
When Prudence inherits her uncle’s “farm,” she’s really excited because she believes in sustainability and she thinks living on the farm will allow her to practice what she preaches. When run-down Woefield Farms doesn’t meet her ideals, she doesn’t let it deter her. She is determined to make something of this farm, but has to figure out how to get it out of debt first. She’s helped by a motley assortment of friends and neighbors and they in turn form a sort of family.
Home to Woefield by Susan Juby is a delightful book that is full of quirky characters! The characters are what made the book so much fun for me. The book is told from the points of view of four of the characters:
- Prudence – the idealist who hopes for a better planet
- Earl – the crotchety farmhand she inherits from her uncle
- Seth – lived across the street with his mother and hadn’t come out of the house since an “incident” in high school. When his mother kicks him out, he finds a home with Prudence
- Sara – a young girl who comes to Woefield Farms in order to find a place to house her chickens and ends up finding a home for herself as well
Each of the narrators has a distinct voice so it’s easy to keep them apart. I found myself getting really attached to the characters even though they frustrated me a few times, and missed them when I was through with the book.
I loved the fact that Prudence was worried about the Earth and was hoping to live a more sustainable life. Juby did a good job of incorporating some earth friendly practices in the book. It’s something I believe in, but probably don’t do enough of.
I really enjoyed the time I spent with the residents of Woefield Farm and hope that Juby has a sequel in the works. Be sure to catch the author when she’s interviewed by Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio on April 5 at 7PM.
Bermudaonion's Weblog 
I just love quirky characters. This book sounds fabulous.
It was a cute, fun read. It’s a great vacation book or one that someone should read as an escape!
The cover is great; cute story it seems.
I really want to read this one and think it sounds wonderful. I love quirky characters. so I think this one would fit the bill nicely. Great review, Kathy! I am glad to hear that you liked it so much!
The book sounds like a sweet, fun read – just the sort of relaxing book I need right now 😀
I wasn’t expecting a book with that title to have such a cute cover! It looks delightful!
This sounds like a lot of fun. I’m adding it to my TBR list 🙂
This does sound like fun! It also sounds like a nice book – you know, neighbors who don’t turn out to be serial killers or anything…
This book sounds like a really fun read.
I’m so glad to hear you liked this. I’m bringing it camping with me this weekend. It sounds like a perfect vacation read.
As you already know, I loved this book too. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This sounds like an enjoyable , fun read, great review!
I’ll keep this one on my radar, for when the weather gets warmer and I can bear to read about people growing things.
I have to read this one. It’s right up my alley and that of my sustainable-crazy kids. I’ll have to let them know someone has included sustainability into their fiction.
Sounds really fun. I do love a quirky cast of characters.
I will look for this one because I love the sound of the characters, but like Jeanne I’ll wait until our *&^%$#@ snow stops and I can read it on the patio in the sun.
You and Julie have convinced me to pick this one up asap! Thanks, Kathy. Terrific review as always.
Sounds like a good one, especially if it made you miss the characters when it was all over.
Fab review. I’ve been simply itching to try this one.
This looks like such a good book! It is on my TBR List!
I loved this book, too! I agree about the sequel.
It sort of reminds me of that Cee Cee Honeycutt book…I think this one is a must read.
Like so many others, I love quirky characters! It’s no fun reading about cookie-cutter clones of one another. Makes for a fun and different story, and this sounds like a cute book!
Thanks for the lovely review! I’m glad you liked the book.
This is the funniest book that I have ever read, I laught out loud so many times reading this book. Would be a great movie. I will read this book when ever I feel a litlle blue. Hope it’s in CD soon, as it would be a great road trip book. Hope there’s more to come Susan.
At first I thought this was a memoir. Sounds like a most enjoyable book.
sounds very good. Thank you.
This sounds like so much fun. I do love books with quirky characters 🙂
This book sounds wonderful. Too bad I read The Egg and I and have had enough of farm life and chickens for now!
This book sounds like it is full of fun characters. After reading your great review, I will add this to my tbr list. I try to be earth friendly too but I am sure I could do a better job at it myself.
I love that you missed the characters when you were done. That takes a special book. I like the sustainability aspect too. Looks like a good one.
I would probably enjoy this book as well, as we seem to have similar taste in books (most of the time, anyway). Terrific review, Kathy!
I think I could totally handle this book! It sounds awesome to me.
I like the sound of this book and the characters 😀
This is soooo my kind of book. I have to get my hands on this one. I am now dying to read it. Great review Kathy!
I’ve been seeing this book around and am really curious about it. Nice review!
Powerful review. I put this one on my tbr list. Thank you for sharing or I wouldn’t have known about it.
The name of the farm alone – Woefield – is enough to tell me that I’ll enjoy this – quirky characters, subtle lessons.
I love Juby, but somehow this book escaped my attention until yesterday.
I like quirky characters and it does look like the book carries a good message. I like Prudence just by reading your review!
I really want to read this book – it sounds like one I’d enjoy. Thanks for the review.
Plus she’s CANADIAN! This review makes it all the more exciting since I have this book sitting for me! GO CANADA!
Quirky is what I love the most…read great reviews of this one so I will want to read it at some point in the future!
I have this delusion that I’d like to live on a farm, have chickens, be a part of the land. But I’m sure it’s waaaaay more work than I’m used to with my backyard garden. I think I’d enjoy this book a lot!
I totally have to get this book! Every review is a rave!
Another one for my list
This sounds like my type of book, love the sustainability aspect of it since that’s something I’ve been working on myself. I’m definitely going to look for a copy of this one.