Customer Reviews

Fifty Acres and a Poodle : A Story of Love, Livestock, and Finding Myself on a Farm

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Jeanne Marie Laskas has written a jewel with heart in Fifty Acres. A revealing look into the author's life and her pursuance of a childhood dream evolves into a charming and beautifully written narrative that has universal appeal. Everyone imagines doing great things with their lives, few have the tenacity to see them through. Fifty Acres is a testament to living your dream. Laskas has it all: humor, insight and wisdom as she guides you through her journey toward the place she now calls home. This is a must read for anyone who desires country living, even if only in the form of an armchair fantasy. I took this book everywhere with me until I was done, and bought copies for friends and relatives. Let's hope that Laskas has more literary gems to offer her fans in the future.

This was such a wonderful book, I am so glad that I found it. I am greatful to Ms. Laskas for sharing this story through her eloquent, humorous, highly relatable and at times heart pulling writing.

For anyone who ever had a dream, this is the book that will make you realize that anything is possible. Ms. Laskas' outlook on life is so refreshing. She writes about her life, her relationship with her boyfriend turn fiance and then husband Alex, and their animals with such passion and truth that it is impossible not to keep turning the pages like you would with a captivating work of fiction.

Her animals practically jump of the pages, and having grown up with poodles I could picture everything Marley did. The farm and all the people she and Alex befriend come to life as if they are your own neighbors, and the idea of owning a farm doesn't seem as foreign as it might have before.

I hope Ms. Laskas chooses to write more anecdotes and memoirs. Perhaps a part II of this story. Her words were all chosen perfectly, and the story was charming, fun, and vibrant. I highly recommend it for a refreshing look at life, love, family, and animals.

Having read an excerpt in a magazine earlier this year, I was anxious to read the entire book. Since it was not yet released by the publisher, it was a long two month wait, but well worth it. This book is about far more than a "30 Something" woman who makes a life style change; moving from the city to a farm creates a domino effect that cascades into every corner of her life. And, delightfully, Mrs. Laskas takes us with her on this journey of discovery and change.

The story pulls you in, slowly, but surely, and you find yourself really caring about the outcome of all characters, animal as well as human. I found myself in tremendous sympathy with the author, her bravery, fortitude, insecurities, and all the loves of her life. And, finally, lest things become too serious, the entire story is told with a charming combination of dry humor, sense of wonder, and discovery of self that make it a book hard to put down.

This was a Five Star Read, and I sincerely hope Mrs. Laskas is at home right now on Sweetwater Farm writing the squel.

Jeanne Marie Laskas will make you laugh one minute and cry the next as you take this journey with her. This is a book not just about a farm, but about a woman taking major steps to make changes in her life. You'll meet and come to know an eclectic group of friends and characters along the way. Laskas shows her amazing strength and determination mixed with a childlike wonder that will endear you. This is a book that you will want to share with your friends for years to come.

After reading these reviews I just had to buy this book and I'm glad I did... ...
This is a memoir-style story about how two animal loving people, a mutt and cat loving writer (Jeanne Marie Laskas) and a poodle packing physchologist, (her long time male friend) that begin as friends in the city and end up sharing their lives with each other and the pets they cherish on a 50 acre farm. This is both funny and entertaining, mixed with the realities of life when it comes to losing beloved pets and family. For anyone that thinks animals are people too, you will enjoy this fast-paced and humorous adventure!

I loved this book. Written with warmth and humor, it is the most original and enjoyable material I've read in months. Jeanne Marie Laskas doesn't have to try too hard to be funny. She just is. There are certain repetitions regarding her inner princess, her husband's all pants half-off joke, stupid sheep, etc. and the roo, roo, roo and woof, woof, woof that give voices to her beloved dogs, Betty and Marley, that make the story come alive. She is also not afraid to show her serious side and reveal her vulnerabilities. Mostly Laskas had me laughing, but sadly, there are elements that aren't so funny. Believing at first this would be a "fish out of water story"-city couple tries to make dream of farm living a reality and everything goes wrong-it is quite the contrary. This is a love story-love between a couple, their extended family (family members, city friends, country friends, their fifty acres of farmland, and lots and lots of animals. Bravo!!! I highly, highly recommend.

Fifty Acres and a Poodle is a charmer. Just as farm living seduces the author, this book seduces the reader with its sly yet empathatic looks at the local gentry -- the livestock, pickup trucks, and hunting culture -- all so foreign to two city slickers. The book avoids being maudlin even though it unavoidably treads into some more serious issues of life and love and health. Highly recommended.

My fiance and I laughed 'til we cried at the adventures of two middle aged city people who buy a picture-postcard fifty acre farm in rural Pennsylvania. Laskas draws wonderful word pictures, from the hilltop setting overlooking her fifty acres of multiflora rosa, to her bald, ground-hog killing standard poodle (not the yappy little ones), to the fat, bulging-eyed, grumpy mule she's bought as a wedding gift for her husband. Having suffered the same "buy the farm" experience ourselves, we fully appreciate the surprise a city person feels at the first day of deer season, the horror and humor of a rat in the oven, and of course the ongoing challenges of fitting into a society where every other neighbor is named Joe Crowley. Highly recommended for it's wonderful characters and good story.

I absolutely loved this book - I also laughed and cried along with some of the other reviewers of this book. I got inside this book very quickly, once I picked it up, and didn't stop till the last page was turned. Not only is the subject matter interesting, but you are along with the author on this ride in her book.
I had gotten this book from the library and came back to Amazon to buy it, that's how much I enjoyed it. I wanted to be able to share it. And now I see that there is a sequel! I can't wait to get my hands on it! As an adoptee myself, I can't wait to read about her further adventures. If my buying Jeanne Marie's books keeps her in fertilizer and back hoes, I'm willing to do it!

I loved this book. Written with warmth and humor, it is the most original and enjoyable material I've read in months. Jeanne Marie Laskas doesn't have to try too hard to be funny. She just is. There are certain repetitions regarding her inner princess, her husband's all pants half-off joke, stupid sheep, etc. and the roo, roo, roo and woof, woof, woof that give voices to her beloved dogs, Betty and Marley, that make the story come alive. She is also not afraid to show her serious side and reveal her vulnerabilities. Mostly Laskas had me laughing, but sadly, there are elements that aren't so funny. Believing at first this would be a "fish out of water story"-city couple tries to make dream of farm living a reality and everything goes wrong-it is quite the contrary. This is a love story-love between a couple, their extended family (family members, city friends, country friends, their fifty acres of farmland, and lots and lots of animals. Bravo!!! I highly, highly recommend.

Michele Cozzens, Author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life."