Uprooting My Life, Buying A Farm, And Learning To Bloom
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jake Keiser was living the life in Tampa, Florida, running a high-powered PR firm and juggling drink dates, shopping sprees, and charity galas. But at age thirty-eight, following a failed marriage, a series of miscarriages, and a still-blistering breakup, she began to suffer from extreme anxiety. Hit with the realization that no amount of Botox could fill the hole in her heart, she decided to make the impulse purchase of a lifetime and bought a farm in the middle of nowhere, Mississippi.
Suddenly responsible for more than seventy-five animals and five acres of land, and with only one bar of cell service, Jake begins her search for inner peace. She learns to fix a well, haul wood, shoot a gun, and care for baby chicks, goats, turkeys, geese, dogs, and a cat, playing spa music for them when they’re sick and naming them after her favorite fashion designers. The only problem is that she still can’t figure out how to truly care for herself. Unable to escape the accumulated pain of her past, Jake hits rock bottom. With nowhere left to run, she’s finally forced to confront a bracing reality: The farm won’t save her. Only she can save herself.
Poignant, hilarious, and utterly charming, Daffodil Hill is for anyone who feels stuck—for those of us strapped to our desks and dreaming of an unconventional life, for those of us searching for something more. Most of all, it is for people who believe that the greatest love story of all is the one we write with ourselves.
- Publisher : The Dial Press (June 7, 2022)
- Publication date : June 7, 2022
- Pages : 293
Jake Keiser’s debut book touched me like no other.
Personal Disclaimer: After years of city living this retired lady has a hankerin’ for chickens, pigmy goats, and who knows what else. So my house sold in 9 days, we bought 35 acres, and we’re building a new home. As I read Daffodil Hill I felt like I was getting a glimpse into my future.
This must-read will have you laughing, shaking your head, and maybe even looking up MyPetChicken.com.
While Jake Keiser might have been living the dream life of running a PR firm, shopping, and playing dress-up. It was leaving her with a deep void in her life. Her real excitement was daydreaming on the website My Pet Chicken.
When her stepmother located some land for her, she took the leap. And it was a mighty leap. One that took her from fashion heels and purses in Florida to a rural few acres in Mississippi.
But will trading Gucci peep-toe pumps for a pair of black and brown Hunters make her a farmer?
I loved her early research before making any farm-related choices since I’ve already fallen into that category regarding our new farm. Her neighbors are genuine and loving and bring warmth to her new little community, even though I can imagine them occasionally rolling their eyes at her naivete.
When one neighbor called to say he’d pick her up on his mule, she hung up and began to fret. How could she politely call him back and point out that riding on an animal with a man she hardly knew wasn’t going to work for her? Before she’d worked out an excuse, the phone rang. The neighbor must have detected her reluctance since he asked if she thought he’d be riding an animal. Ye-s-s she said hesitantly. He laughed and informed her that a mule was country talk for an ATV.
Keiser isn’t afraid to share her lack of knowledge or her deepest personal feelings. Not only do we learn about her adventures with a water well freezing up and chickens she loves to look at but not touch (at least at first), she shares her experiences of marriage, pregnancy, dating, loneliness, fears, and much more.
My Concerns
None
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of memoirs, don’t overlook this one. It’s filled with inspiration, and for a city girl delving into farm life myself, I can imagine everything she’s described.
However, the chapter titled My, What Big Teeth You Have which described her adventures with a possum, had my eyes flying wide open and my heart thumping. No ma’am, no chicken, favorite or not, would have me outside in my nightie tangling with a possum! You go, Jake Keiser!
Happy reading, folks. This is one to add to your bookshelf.
My thanks to Dial Press for a gifted copy and the ability to post my thoughts with no stipulations.
About the Author
Jake Keiser is a former city girl currently creating a fabulous farm life in Oxford, Mississippi, where she encourages healing and self-empowerment through self-reliance. Her farm is a nonprofit, where children and families come to learn about raising animals and farm life.
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