Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor

by Suzanne McMinn

Suzanne McMinn, a former romance writer and founder of the popular blog chickensintheroad.com , shares the story of her search to lead a life of ordinary splendor in Chickens in the Road , her inspiring and funny memoir. Craving a life that would connect her to the earth and her family roots, McMinn packed up her three kids, left her husband and her sterile suburban existence behind, and moved to rural West Virginia. Amid the rough landscape and beauty of this rural mountain country, she pursues a natural lifestyle filled with chickens, goats, sheep—and no pizza delivery. With her new life comes an unexpected new love—"52," a man as beguiling and enigmatic as his nickname—a turbulent romance that reminds her that peace and fulfillment can be found in the wake of heartbreak. Coping with formidable challenges, including raising a trio of teenagers, milking stubborn cows, being snowed in with no heat, and making her own butter, McMinn realizes that she’s living a forty-something’s coming-of-age story. As she dares to become self-reliant and embrace her independence, she reminds us that life is a bold adventure—if we’re willing to live it.  Chickens in the Road includes more than 20 recipes, craft projects, and McMinn’s photography, and features a special two-color design.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Biography, Family, Food, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Suzanne McMinn former romance writer turned intrepid farm girl, is the creator of the incredibly popular personal website www.chickensintheroad.com. A professional writer, teacher, and photographer, she is the author of twenty-six published novels and writes a bimonthly column for the Charleston Daily Mail. She lives in West Virginia.

Reviews

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes books written by people with blogs are just cobbled together posts--not so with Chickens in the Road, maybe because Suzanne McMinn wrote romance novels before she chucked her suburban housewife existence for life on a farm, so she knows how to tell a story. After her marriage ended Suzanne moved herself and her initially reluctant children to the West Virginia county where her father grew up and started working towards fulfilling a dream she hadn’t realized she had, living on an animal filled farm.

Maybe because I have my own chickens in the road fantasy I loved this book. Suzanne writes with bright determined enthusiasm that’s hard to resist, even as her narrative is increasingly weighed down by her relationship with 52, the difficult man who won her heart and became her farming partner. For me, the troubles with 52 don’t detract from the book, they enhance it. Suzanne moved to the country to become more independent and figuring out relationship stuff becomes part of that journey, even for a former romance novelist. The book has a wonderful photo insert section and two appendixes with country recipes and craft projects.

You can check out her Chickens in the Road Blog at http://chickensintheroad.com/

[Tressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Suzanne McMinn's homesteading blog for several years, and looked forward to reading this and having some gaps filled in about how she found herself on a farm in West Virginia, and to learn how she was truly coping with all the hard work. She is a wonderful, poignant writer, so I had a good feeling that I would enjoy the book and I did.

She does fill in all the gaps about how she went from a pampered suburban wife and mom and romance writer to a woman who fulfilled her dream of owning a farm in a place isolated enough where chickens could freely wander in the road.

Even though she has a blog and posts on it almost daily, she was always careful about revealing too much about her floundering relationship with 52, a man she only eluded to on her blog in order to respect his privacy. I have to hand it to her about how she opened herself up in the book and traced the history of their romance that came across on her blog as deeply wounding at times; she touchingly wove it into the other parts of her book and highlighted how each argument, each bout of hurt silence, led to the ending of their relationship.

If you are interested in growing your own vegetables, cooking from scratch, making your own candles, canning, etc., this book has a lot of great information in it.

[Maryanne Mathes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have followed Susanne's blog and website for a long time now. I have enjoyed both greatly. Her trials and victories were always from the heart and felt by this follower.
I didn't purchase this book, I had my library grab a copy from downstate.
We all knew about 52 and we knew things weren't perfect. What I didn't know is how rough they were according to Suzanne. Do I care? Ummm, honestly, I was irritated as all get out. It's hard to imagine someone not saying something back when you're being belittled. Especially a woman strong enough to embark on this journey to West Va with her kids and her whole past behind her. It's hard for me to comprehend this, because I am not built to take that from anyone.
Beyond that, I feel as though the book should have been called "52 in the Road". Sure there were the farm animal adventures, Georgia and the other local neighbors..and there was the rough Winters--again and again and again. But everytime I would be enjoying finding the raspberries, chasing BP down, knee deep in muck to milk--52 interferes again. And I KNOW, this is the intended story..but I honestly felt no sympathy for her choosing to let him stay-and then telling him to leave and then promising to never tell him to leave again. huh?
And it was the final sentence of the book that left me with a bad taste--thanking 52. Umm no. Thank yourself girl-he did nothing for you other than provide your needed crutch of excuses, and that is exactly what it felt like-a book of woe is me excuses.
I still read her blog everyday and enjoy it greatly. But, her book, no.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a book about a woman finding herself on her farm. But it's about a woman who puts up with a verbally/emotionally abusive boyfriend for WAY TOO LONG because she wants to stay on her farm. For the first 90% of the book I wanted to slap both the author and her shitty boyfriend (referred to only as "52" in the book).

Finally she gets her shit together and leaves his sorry ass and takes all her animals and finds herself on her own farm. FINALLY!

[Lormac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Women can probably be divided into two groups when confronted with a failed marriage, three teenage children and a shaky financial foundation - the group who decides that this would be the perfect time to learn how to run a farm in the middle of nowhere where not only is there no paved drive, there are no roads at all that lead to your front door, and you actually have to drive through creek beds and 'ford' rivers to make it home, and the group who would not give this possibility even a moment of passing consideration. I am firmly in the second group, and McMinn is in the former group, so reading her memoir was like reading a foreign language. I could not understand how or why this lovely woman was putting herself through this misery. On the other hand, she has my admiration, because the very thought of telling my teen-agers that we were leaving civilization to start a farm where they would need to help with chores before crossing a creek and river to catch the school bus, and where there was no cable tv or wireless reception, actually causes my heart to seize up - I can just hear them - "OMG, you want me to move where??!!! Stringtown?!!! Puh-leeze! NO, no, no, no, no, I would rather die first. How can you do this to us? Don't you love us even a little?" Yeah, McMinn has some cajones to suffer through what must have been hurled her way.

Anyway, if you are of the first group, and starting a farm in the middle of nowhere has always been your dream, then I really think you will enjoy this book. But I found myself skipping the pages detailing goat milking, cow escapes and the rest of farm life, which left me with just a handful of pages to actually read.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a few different memoirs along these lines - woman decides to change her life in a drastic way, get rid of excess and back to her roots etc. Most of them have been really mediocre, essentially published diaries better left in a drawer. "Chickens in the Road" is a totally different book than any of those. The author was already an accomplished writer before this, and it shows. Suzanne McMinn is a great storyteller and I loved reading her own story. I felt at home, comfortable on her porch and in her kitchen, like hearing a story from a good friend. Highly recommended!! (and this from someone who had never heard of Suzanne's blog!)

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a novelist, I'm in awe of this book. Nonfiction, for me, is pure work. Give me fiction any day. One of the best memoirs I've read in forever! Ms. McMinn reminded me just what I'm made of and what I can accomplish. The recipes in the back are just a bonus. Everyone should read this book.

[Kira FlowerChild · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to think about this review for a few days. I love to read books about people who have moved "back to the land" and have left the rat race behind. I admire those who are willing to work hard to make their dreams come true. However...common sense is an essential ingredient in an endeavor of this type, and that is something that the author, Suzanne McMinn, is woefully lacking in.

First mistake: Never, ever buy real estate with someone you are not legally married to. Relationships break up all the time, but if you are married, you do have legal recourse to make sure you don't lose everything. In this case, the relationship went bad soon after they built the farm, but the author had the choice of enduring her partner's verbal abuse (which she did for several years) or losing her investment. They finally came to an agreement to sell the farm and she started over on her own. Admittedly, she would not have been able to manage the farm on her own, but she would have been much better off hiring someone to do the work that she was not strong enough physically to do.

Second mistake: This woman never met a farm animal she didn't like and if it was free, so much the better. She acquired goats, sheep, geese, chickens, cows, willy-nilly, without planning ahead and without a whole lot of thought about how much the upkeep would be on all these critters. This was definitely a learning experience and she chose the hard way. When she first brought her children to the wilds of West Virginia, her twelve-year-old son remarked (somewhat prophetically), “You’ve brought us to this slanted little house to die." Nobody dies, but more from good luck than good planning.

Despite all the mistakes she made and the chapters devoted to her problems with her partner (identified only as "52," the age he was when she met him), this was an interesting book. I particularly liked the color photographs included. I have to admit, though, that when I realized the last 50 or so pages of the book were recipes and craft instructions, I was relieved, since I was not interested in reading those.

My advice would be to check out Suzanne McMinn's blog, Chickens in the Road, before tackling the book.

[Ellen Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chickens in the Road is the story of a divorced woman with three children who is trying to find herself. She starts a popular blog (by the same name as the book), and her online business grows along with her interests in self sufficiency. She starts a farm in an almost geographically impossible location with her boyfriend, who she discovers later is emotionally abusive. It took me some time in this book to warm up to it, but by the time I was halfway through, I had a hard time putting it down. I found myself rooting for McMinn to leave her boyfriend, and was pleased when she finally did so in the end. In spite of the fact that some of the subject matter of the book is very serious, many of the stories about her adventures in farming, raising animals, and homesteading are written with a self-deprecating wit that made me laugh out loud. I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I were already a reader of McMinn's blog, so I'd recommend this book first and foremost to her blog readers. I'd also recommend this book to anyone who's ever tried to find themselves after a divorce, and to anyone who's interested in farming, homesteading, and self-sufficiency.

[Cindy Heaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy to read memoir of life on a farm when you don't really know what you are doing. I gave it 4 stars because she could have done more writing about the farm and things that happened and less about her relationship with 52, though I know it had to be addressed because direction changed on the farm because of him.

The only other thing I didn't like is when she talks about killing the animals for food. She will not kill any animal she takes care of, but she has 52 take care of the pigs. She says she feels nothing for them and doesn't care when they go to the slaughter house. Then says she accomplished something by raising her own meat too. I didn't feel she raised that meat and dealt with the sadness or gratefulness of having an animal die to feed you and your family. What she did is no different than picking it up at the grocery store.

Other than those two things, I really liked the book. It's written in an easy, readable manner that makes you feel like she's just having a conversation with you. The recipes at the back of the book look good too. I am going to try her apple dumplings as soon as our apples ready.

[Rebecca Newman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would like this book because I am drawn to the whole city-girl turned country girl storyline but I found that the story was mostly about her dysfunctional relationship with "52", a post-divorce love interest with whom she buys a farm. I couldn't help but feel her voice spent more time explaining that she did nothing at all wrong and that she was victimized anyway within the relationship than in the telling of any adventure in ordinary splendor.

It was essentially a failed romance story with goats and chickens.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much verbally abusive boyfriend, not enough chickens.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am vacillating between three stars and four. Since it was written in 2013, I would bet many things have changed, so I will settle on three stars. My one question is did she sell Stringtown Rising Farm, and while living there why didn't she put up her own guard rails on the road? I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir and loved the history about West Virginia. This was a book club selection and was a terrific choice.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't become a farmer, but it was fun reading about Suzanne doing it. And I also love goats and cows.

[Susan Oleksiw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne McMinn wants to live on a farm. That fact that she has no idea how to manage a farm and grew up outside Washington DC does not deter her, so after her divorce she moves herself and her three children to a farm in West Virginia, where her father spent his early years.

This is the story of her many attempts to learn to farm, her hilarious encounters with animals she is determined to keep, and her efforts to make it all work despite a farm that is more hill than pasture, a location that means no mail and no school bus and no safe roads in winter, and various other challenges. She doesn't care if she doesn't know what she's doing, she just wants to do it. She wants to make candles and soap, can and preserve everything in sight that's edible, raise every possible kind of animal, and live entirely off the produce of her farm. She has no shame in describing her mishaps with goats that don't want to be milked, neighbors who don't want outsiders moving in, and a partner who becomes her nemesis. But in the end she succeeds, and finds herself the owner of a functioning farm, and a woman who can do just about everything laborious and difficult and dangerous her ancestors could do (and that's why they left the farm for the city).

The author switched from writing romance novels to writing about her farm, and now manages to make her living as a columnist and workshop leader on all things agricultural. She is hilarious and smart in turns, and a totally enthralling guide to rural life.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

McMinn's memoir is one of those "how I found myself" books, filled with interesting ways to declutter and simplify (if you're willing to buy a farm and grow your own, among other things). She brings her three children to West Virginia, to her ancestral lands, after her divorce and first in the Slanted Little House and then at Stillwater Rising Farm she connects with an earlier way of life. And by earlier, she means "nearly pioneer" - the farm is not on a paved road (you either ford a river or cross three creeks to get there), the electricity goes out for a week over Christmas, etc.. There's also a relationship with "52", a distant relative and for some time the man in her life, to deal with.

All too often things were reexplained, often with the same language. That always bothers me, as though no one went through the book as a book and suggested that perhaps things could be tightened up. Her relationship with 52 was also a little problematic, to say the least. And while I know this was her story, her dream, more of her children's reactions would have been nice: it's implied that they don't do any farm chores, and their activities are occasionally mentioned, but more would have been nice.

One of the things I hate about eARCs popped up: there are some great recipes and craft ideas at the end and keeping them is impossible! You can't print or copy them from a Kindle, and I hate trying to cook with the Kindle nearby. Sigh.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Emily Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta say, this was a tough one for me to properly and fairly rate. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I thought it would, and yet I can see the nature of this book appealing to so many readers. The Chickens in the Road site is a truly amazing piece of internet offering with awesome ideas, but this book is precisely what it is announced to be in the epilogue: a coming-of-age book. Like that idea? Awesome. Hoping for more pure farming/provident living type of thing? It's there, but you'll still have to deal with some drama.

For what it is worth, the book is superbly written (Suzanne has the talent!) and it often reminded me of "The Egg and I". Suzanne is tongue-in-cheek funny when she isn't being laugh-out-loud, and I enjoyed the breezy, personable way she told her stories.

What I did not care for was the relationship and self-actualization portions. A personal taste thing that I just can't make for fair criticism, but it's how I felt. I picked up this book to read about the farm adventures, not a failing relationship.

But for those who do want to read about that sort of thing, it is well presented. My favorite aspect continues to be the bonus recipes and crafts at the back of the book.

So, four stars for a fair rating, though my personal feelings are a lot closer to three stars. Read it for the farming, read it for the relationship. Both are there.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I read an advanced readers copy, and most of my complaints could be taken care of by a good editor, but I was surprised at how badly composed this book was. McMinn is an establish romance novelist and apparently generates a significant income from her blog. While I've never read any of her other books, I would think that with her background that this book would have been well written. Instead I found it to be a series of stops and starts. She would start on one topic, then switch thoughts; sometimes she'd come back to finish the original topic, sometimes not.

It made me wonder if she was essentially creating the book using her blog posts with a bit of personal commentary in between, but overall it just seemed choppy.

For all that said, she didn't get dragged into minute details and it was an easy book to read. I can't say I really connected with McMinn and truthfully found her to be naive and a bit childlike in her approach to life. Nor do I identify with doing something the hard way just because it's more difficult, and spurning modern conveniences like buying milk from the grocery store. I really like the grocery store.

[Larinda Agee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so excited to have been chosen to receive this for a First Reads winner! I can't wait to get started on it as soon as it arrives!

Update:
I really enjoyed this book and am very thankful to have been chosen to read it via First Reads. My thanks to the selection process as my name was called! I had never heard of or even read McMinn's blog but was excited immediately as I read this book in the wonderful voice that she writes with. Her adventures through this moving story are wonderful to read about and experience along with her and it is a well deserved happy ending that makes me smile the most!

Reading about her farm and animals was intriguing and interesting as well as humorous at times. How fun it would be to set off on a life-changing adventure of this magnitude and make a complete switch to virtually every aspect of your life! Though initially not a knowledgeable person about McMinn, I am not a definite fan and will enlist in the future to stay up with her via her blog and website.

I recommend this book, absolutely. Well done!

[Jennifer Kleffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this via kindle. I've been reading the blog for a couple of years. It's a great story about moving in the direction you think you are supposed to go, even when you have no idea where the journey will take you. It's also about discovering that it is never too late to change your life or figure out who you are. There's a great line late in the book, after she has left her verbally abusive partner, where someone asks her when she discovered that she didn't need a man in her life, and her answer is, when he stopped showing up. There is nothing more powerful than discovering that you can make it on your own, because it gives you the power to walk away from a relationship if you need to. And it makes choosing to be IN a relationship powerful, because you are choosing because it is the right person, and not because you just don't want to be alone. It's a powerful lesson, and one more women need to learn. A good read.

[Perri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like McMinn beautifully articulated what I'm trying to do and why. The hard work and sometimes drudgery required, the satisfaction of making your own, the frustrations of relearning wisdom once passed through generations. She's a natural story teller and I loved the photos, recipes and crafts. I've made soap and had wondered how to make laundry soap-directions are there. I've made bread but still buying tortillas and thinking surely they aren't too hard. The recipe in back there. Not that I couldn't find directions online, just reminded me of things I've thought I'd like to do one day.It's so great when a book comes along at the right time. I also didn't know the difference between hay and straw, have learned that if you have livestock be prepared for deadstock- that water comes from more than turning a faucet and flushing the toilet doesn't make things disappear. One thing I've forgotten is to be more thankful for the support of my 59.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF and let me tell you why.

I saw this and was immediately excited. I'm not sure what I was smoking the day I picked it up, but hopefully I won't do it again. There is also the possibility that I'm burned out on biographies and memoirs since I seem to have been reading quite a few as of lately. Why you ask? Well to be honest, it was a snoozefest. In addition the author annoyed the hell out of me. She was nothing more than a silly suburbanite playing farmgirl. I see this on a daily basis. I live in a rural area that is comparable to Walton. I grew up on a farm, had chickens and pigs, grow a vegetable garden, live with a gaggle of goats in my barn, have canned etc and I don't find myself all that special. It's just another day around here and is not all that worthy of writing about.

Wake me up when she does something that's amazing and noteworthy.

[Becky Giovagnoni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care much for this book because I didn't like Suzanne McMinn. At least half the book was talking about her relationship issues (her ex-husband and her dysfunctional relationship with "52.") She detailed various arguments they had and repeatedly brought up their issues. I have enough of my own issues - I don't want to read about someone else's.

Her descriptions of farm life did not make it seem the least bit appealing. Although she says she enjoys it, I didn't get that sense at all from the way she wrote this book.

Although I haven't read her blog, I suspect I'd like it much better, as the focus is more on photos, recipes and DIY projects. But honestly, I'm not that interested in her so because of this book, I probably won't check it out either.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how I found this book but it's a memoir about a suburban woman and her three kids who move to a farm in West Virginia, but much of the book is actually how the woman falls into a pretty unhappy (and frankly odd) relationship with a man called '52' with whom she buys a troubled farm and has a troubled 3+ long relationship. From their first date is was kind of obvious there was trouble, but maybe she wanted the reader to see that but all you kind of think is, "Why are earth are you buying a farm with this man?" To be fair, I thought it would be an escapist kind of memoir so that might be why I was thrown for a loop.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. McMinn was already a successful writer when she divorces her husband, drags her three children to West Virginia, starts a blog & buys a farm w/ a new man in her life. I appreciated how honest she was in writing the book, and that is why I am giving it 4 stars. The writing is very strong, and I was so intrigued, I popped over to her lovely blog & website after reading the book to get more updated information, which is a sign that I must have been pretty darn enamored with the book at the end!

[ron nicholas]

Wonderful book.

when I start a book I if it dose not grab me in the first ten pages I close it. this book had me by page four. I have always admired people who follow they're dreams. so many of us are afraid to risk it all. Suzanne made me feel as if I was there seeing and feeling all she went through. I feel sorry whatever demons drove 52 cost him what I believe is a remarkable woman.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't make it past the first few pages where the author perpetuated the West Virginia stereotype several times with different versions of (speaking of her love interest) "...he and I were cousins six or seven times removed, which isn't unusual in West Virginia" (page 1) and "...but in West Virginia, almost everyone is your cousin to one degree or another, so we don't usually get that detailed." (page 5). UGH! Closed book and returned to the library.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another blogger writes a book but this one threw some curveballs at the end that were pleasantly received. Very readable style, finished it in one night. As I neared the end I thought there was more of the story but about 1/8 of the book (in the back) is recipes. Nice to have a colored photo insert, haven't seen that in many books of this type. A good read.

[Chavonne Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about independence and homesteading. Great insights and recipes included! I love the idea of homesteading and "farming". This book tells some beautiful tales and includes some times that I cried! I have joined the website and am enjoying hearing more!