Farm Kid: Tales of Growing Up in Rural America (Paperback)

by Justin Isherwood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The farmkid soul is a hard thing to shake, Justin Isherwood writes in "FarmKid: Tales of growing up in rural America." From hay legs to farm cats, Isherwood, one of Wisconsin's most accomplished rural writers, captures the romance, spirit and humor of growing up on a farm.

About the Author
A fifth generation farmer from Plover, Wisconsin, Justin Isherwood also is the author of "The Book of Plough," "Christmas Stories & The Story Chair" and "The Farm West of Mars." His writing also has appeared in national and regional publications as well as with other authors in anthologies like "A Place to Which We Belong" and "100 Years of Vintage Tractors."

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Badger Books LLC (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932542159
• ISBN-13: 978-1932542158
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #438,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Justin Isherwood is cut from the same cloth as Mark Twain, November 23, 2007

By	Jim Pope (in central Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

I'm a farm kid who grew up at the same time and in almost the same place as author Justin Isherwood (it was in the 1950s but in Lind Township, half-a-county to the east of his homestead in Plover). That's close enough that you can trust me when I tell you that Isherwood truly captures the history and the character of that time and place. His stories in FARM KID: TALES OF GROWING UP IN RURAL AMERICA are right-on vignettes of small farm life around this part of the country half-a-century ago. The independent spirit of the family farmer from back then is a big part of the heart and soul of these stories.

In addition to being informative and memory-evoking, Isherwood's affable and good-humored style makes for a very entertaining read. His storytelling moves quickly and with a voice that's wonderfully engaging. There's an edge to his commentary, but it's sincere and insightful, and not at all heavy-handed or preachy. It's quite reminiscent of the same type of experience you get from a Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, only it's all about what was happening on the family farm some fifty years ago. Indeed, Justin Isherwood's outlook on the American character and culture is not unlike that of Mark Twain himself, it's just focused up river and a hundred years later.

Also recommended: BOOK OF PLOUGH by Justin Isherwood, IN A PICKLE: A FAMILY FARM STORY by Jerry Apps.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sixty-three wonderfully told and entertaining short stories, November 4, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

A fifth-generation, Plover Wisconsin potato farmer, and author of many a short stories and books on rural life, Justin Isherwood continues his gentle, humor laced stories in Farm Kid: Tales Of Growing Up In Rural America. The reader is treated to sixty-three wonderfully told and entertaining short stories that have the full flavor of a yarn that evokes memories and nostalgia in equal proportions. These are original stories that provide little "windows in time" revealing the romance, spirit, adventure, insights, and occasional frustrations of growing up on a farm. A true delight, Farm Kid is the perfect book for a browsy afternoon and will prove a popular addition to any family or community library collection. Also very highly recommended are Justin Isherwood's previous short story collections: The Book Of Plough; Christmas Stories & The Story Chair; and The Farm West Of Mars.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so great, May 24, 2008

By	C. Morey (Fairbanks, AK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't think this book is very well written, and I don't get his humor.