Woefield Farm is a sprawling thirty acres of scrub land, complete with dilapidated buildings and one half-sheared, lonely sheep named Bertie. It’s “run” - in the loosest possible sense of the word - by Prudence Burns, an energetic, well-intentioned twenty-something New Yorker full of back-to- the-land ideals, but without an iota of related skills or experience. Prudence, who inherited the farm from her uncle, soon discovers that the bank is about to foreclose on Woefield Farm, which means that Prudence has to turn things around, fast. But fear not! She’ll be assisted by Earl, a spry seventy-something, banjo-playing foreman with a distrust of newfangled ideas and a substantial family secret; Seth, the alcoholic, celebrity-blogging boy-next-door, who hasn’t left the house since a scandal with his high-school drama teacher; and Sara Spratt, a highly organized eleven-year-old looking for a home for her prizewinning chickens, including one particularly randy fellow soon to be christened Alec Baldwin.
Full of offbeat charm and characters you won’t soon forget, The Woefield Poultry Collective is a heartwarming novel about learning how to take on a challenge, facing your fears, and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places. With alternating narratives, Susan Juby shows how a team of misfits can find acceptance and success, even with - and sometimes in spite of - their highly unorthodox approach.
©2011 Susan Juby (P)2011 HarperCollins Canada
"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 it's fertile ground for superb storytelling." (Booklist)
"It's so difficult to have a (theoretically) morally superior protagonist doing good works, and have them be in any way likable. Susan Juby achieves this miraculous feat with her latest novel, The Woefield Poultry Collective .... The novel is genuinely funny and tremendously charming." (Sandra Kasturi, National Post)
"Susan Juby is a marvel. Wise, witty, and full of heart, her writing draws you in and won't let go. And just when you think it can't get any better, it does. I never wanted to leave Woefield, and you won't, either." (Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Insatiable)
"Beautifully cast, excellent narration"
The dialogue, like Miriam Towes, Susan Juby is really good at the rolling story.
The characters come alive.
"Beautifully cast, excellent narration"
The dialogue, like Miriam Towes, Susan Juby is really good at the rolling story.
The characters come alive.
"Wow!"
I cannot say enough good things about The Woefield Poultry Collective! The story is original; the everyday problems unique to the characters' lives make them relatable. Best of all, it's hilarious! You will literally laugh out loud at the shenanigans taking place on this farm. I am very impressed by the narration as well...each character is narrated by a different person, not the same person just changing their voice. Because each character is telling their point of view of the story, combined with the individuality of the narrator's voice, the story flows effortlessly. Very Impressive!!
"Warm-hearted fun"
This was a delightful book from an author I wasn't familiar with. It is full of hilarious contemporary references and all the characters are deeply flawed, yet charming and lovable. It's one of the most enjoyable books I've read for awhile. I even forgave all the endless swearing from some of the characters, which I usually don't, because it fits so perfectly with who they are. The multiple narrators also works well, because it helps delineate each very clearly, which strengthens a character-driven book. I'd love to return to further adventures of Woefield Farm!
"More!"
Loved this book. I hope the author does a sequel and they get all the same people to narrate the characters. Had me laughing out loud on several occasions and yet there are some serious issues being dealt with. If you can appreciate the absurd and some black humour, I think you'll enjoy the book.
Am now going to hunt down other books by this author but, truly, I hope we hear more about the Woefield Poultry Collective.
"Mildly amusing, verbally crude."
Why only two stars? I listened with headphones because I could not play this story out loud for my staff. Actually, one of the young ladies who works for me tried it but found it inappropriate for group listening in a work environment so I wasn't alone in my assessment. Basically, there's more foul language than fowl language in this audiobook. The author has realistically created her characters but knowing people similar to these folks and hearing them in a story are two different experiences.
The story itself has amusing moments so, in between cringing at the four letter words I found myself smiling occasionally and laughing out loud once or twice. My favourite character was the little girl who owned the chickens. She had a wonderfully dryly humorous nature. She wasn't trying to be funny but the author expressed her gift for humour through this child.
I think the story could have been improved by sanitizing the wording a bit and perhaps giving the main character a true New York accent.