Home to Woefield

November 15, 2010
Juby, author of the Alice MacLeod books for young adults and a memoir of alcohol addiction (Nice Recovery), borrows from both genres for her first foray into adult fiction. The result is a sweetly cockamamie tale of the emotional, physical, and spiritual recovery of lost souls sharing a neglected farm, a seriously depressed sheep, a coop of fancy chickens, and a last shred of hope. In alternating voices, sunny optimist Prudence, who inherited the money-losing spread from her uncle; boozy blogger Seth; tween Sara, who raises poultry to console a life otherwise torn apart by two warring parents; and old-coot Earl, who has a mysterious and illustrious past, put their shaky lives and a dilapidated house together by discovering the best and forgiving the worst of each other. A wounded little girl and an indomitably hopeful big one book-end this lightly funny and touching yarn about an endearing band of social wrecks who are impossible not to love, at least a little.

March 1, 2011

Prudence, who lives in Brooklyn, NY, is longing for a greener lifestyle when she learns she has inherited a farm from a distant uncle in British Columbia. The farm is in woeful condition physically and fiscally. As Prudence arrives at Woefield, Juby shifts the point of view among four characters. Earl is Prudence's deceased uncle's hired hand, Seth is a 19-year-old alcoholic blogger who has been kicked out of his mom's house, and tween Sara needs a place to house her chickens. Trying to keep the farm afloat financially, Prudence and her motley crew strategize various plans to make money. With a good dose of humor, all of the characters work through their respective issues. VERDICT This heartwarming and upbeat novel marks young adult author Juby's (Alice, I Think) successful foray into the world of chick lit. Her adult fiction debut is certain to attract readers who enjoy their chick lit in the style of Marian Keyes or Meg Cabot. [Galley mailing to select libraries.--Ed.]--Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2011
When Prudence Burns inherits her uncles farm, she pictures barn raisings, strawberry socials, and the pastoral idyll. The reality: 30 acres of scrub land. Undaunted, her naive optimism, which alternately astounds and amuses, attracts a rag-tag band of misfits who join her bumbling, madcap efforts to make a go of Woefield Farm. Theres Earl, the gruff farmhand, who harbors a secret past; Sara, an 11-year-old member of the junior poultry club with stomach problems caused by her battling parents; and Seth, a snarky blogger who hasnt left his mothers house since the trouble with the drama teacher back in high school. A half-shorn sheep and an amorous rooster add to the high jinks. In her sparklingly witty and charming first novel for adults, the author of the Alice MacLeod YA series delightfully combines satire and a distinctly modern voice with old-fashioned sweetness, and her laugh-out-loud writing is tempered by the characters emotional pain and efforts to help one another heal. Woefield Farm may not produce a single crop, yet its fertile ground for superb storytelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)