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Hit by a Farm: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn Audiobook
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(3.03) - 761 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“Farms have fences. People have boundaries. Mine began crumbling the day I knelt behind a male sheep, reached between his legs, and squeezed his testicles … Janet, the instructor of this course on raising sheep, had indicated it was my turn. ‘Grab his testicles here, around the widest part.’ Right, no problem. At that very moment all my friends were attending a writing conference. They were warm, clean, and not feeling up a ram with sixteen-inch testicles … Wincing, I reached between the ram’s back legs with my thumb and forefinger. ‘Don’t pinch him,’ Janet cried.”
Hit by a Farm is a hilarious recounting of Catherine’s attempt to become a farmer; it is also a coming-of (middle)-age story of a woman trying to close the divide between who she wants to be, and who she really is. After helping Melissa fulfill her dream, Catherine eventually finds a way to recapture her own. By turns funny and moving, Hit by a Farm is a crash course in both living off and living with the land that will appeal to anyone hungering for a connection to rural life.
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"Being a shepherdess, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was comforting and humorous to read about other new shepherds making new shepherd mistakes. The part of the book that dealt with the author's relationship with her partner seemed to me to be beside the point, at least in the beginning. By the end of the book, though, I thought it was an interesting and important part that helped to tie the whole story together. Instead of just being a book about farming anecdotes, it was a book about one couple's life choices and how they worked through the problems that beset any partnership."
— Brit (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“What a funny, touching, delightful human story! Catherine is not only a farmer; she is most certainly a writer too.”
— Marion Dane Bauer, Newbery Honor Book Award–winning author -
“A sweet and funny book in the classic Hardy Girls Go Farming genre, elegantly told, from the first two pages, which are particularly riveting for the male reader, through the astonishing revelation that chickens have belly-buttons and on to the end, which comes much too soon. It has dogs, sheep, a pickup truck, women’s underwear, electric fences, the works.”
— Garrison Keillor, author and public radio personailty
Hit by a Farm Listener Reviews
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" Convinced me to never raise sheep. It did, however, sell me on the idea of guard llamas. "
— Sarah, 2/20/2014 -
" I loved Sheepish and went back to get this one, which preceded it. I think I like Sheepish better, as for this kind of book, in Sheepish the author is more settled and content, and it's more about the farm and life than a memoir/growth story. This is similar to the latter, but the author is younger and it shows. Sheepish (which I recommend highly) will go on my shelf as a good read to return to, this one might not. That said, it's a fun quick read. "
— Sara, 2/17/2014 -
" I loved this book. What an interesting journey, both internal and extenal. Plus, she is so funny. I read another good farm book after this one, that I liked, but I so missed Catherine's sense of humor. Give me any farm book written with real honesty and humor and I'm a happy camper. "
— Autumn, 2/13/2014 -
" I love a good book that makes me laugh out loud. This book earns that mark in spades. (Pun intended). "
— J, 2/9/2014 -
" Great book - doesn't really pertain to my own yard and gardening, but it was very entertaining to see what these two ladies have gone through in establishing their farm. "
— Jeph, 1/22/2014 -
" Great book. I loved all the animal stories. Chickens have belly buttons, llamas pee backwards (his penis can swivel), and ducks have corkscrew penises. A great book about boundaries and relationships and the two together. "
— Marlo, 1/8/2014 -
" interesting, had to have mom bring it from minnesota for me .. "
— Terese, 1/7/2014 -
" If you live or have lived on a farm, or if you're thinking of living off the land, you should read this book because you'll know exactly what the author went through to establish a farm. crazy shit. "
— Kim, 12/27/2013 -
" okay book. if you're interested in farming with sheep, or just farming at all, better read this book first. true story. "
— Nomegirl, 12/21/2013 -
" Lesbian couple buys a farm. I enjoyed reading about what all went into buying and working the farm. Lots about chickens, sheep and dogs. "
— Leslie, 12/13/2013 -
" Funny and sobering read for a fantasy farmer like myself! Quickly on to read "Sheepish", the follow-up. "
— Annette, 12/2/2013 -
" Fun & entertaining. Read by the author. Warning though, some parts of farm life are sad. "
— Jen, 6/6/2013 -
" Hit by a Farm is both hilarious and harrowing, and altogether hard to put down. (Just don't read it in a place where you'll get in trouble for laughing ...) The only problem with this book is that it's too short! I hope she writes a sequel. "
— planetkimi, 5/12/2013 -
" This was the right book to read as I began my new year at my new farmhouse! I loved reading the memoirs of a fellow lesbian.. I know it would still have been applicable if she had been straight, but it felt good to read normal stories of a normal woman who happened to be like me. "
— Megan, 4/12/2013 -
" It's fantastic and didn't matter that i read her books out of order of publishing. I will keep her on my to read anything knew she writes list :) "
— Andrea, 3/16/2013 -
" Too much fixation on sex. Yes, breeding happens on a farm. No, we readers do not need to hear about it in full detail every 5 minutes. "
— Kathely, 12/4/2012 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It was witty and entertaining and I just loved the author's voice. I was pleasantly surprised to learn she wrote the children's book "The Perfect Nest" which I loved! "
— Lanette, 11/30/2012 -
" Catherine Friend spins (ha!) a wild tale of farm ownership, relationship woes and general hilarity. I think everyone would like this book, especially Minnesotans with any interst in at all in small scale farming and pasture-raised sheep. "
— Beth, 11/16/2012 -
" Funny and insightful. A little slower than I expected, but maybe I'm just not used to adult books anymore. :) I want to go find their farm! Lots to ponder about work, balance, and especially relationships. Sad moments, happy moments, funny moments-- and typical animal story emotions abound. "
— Frances, 7/19/2012 -
" Who knew starting a sheep farm could be so entertaining?? "
— Stephanie, 6/11/2012 -
" trite, coulda seen it coming "
— Katie, 4/27/2012 -
" I loved reading this book. It's quick and funny, yet had moments that made me stop and think or that made me tear up a bit. My next mission now is to go and visit this farm! "
— Caroline, 4/17/2012
About Catherine Friend
Catherine Friend left a career in technical writing in Minneapolis to move with her spouse to a small farm in southeastern Minnesota. Her adult memoirs, Hit by a Farm and Sheepish, chronicle her many adventures and mishaps in the country. Her children’s picture book, The Perfect Nest, was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best read-aloud books of 2007.