A Widow's Walk Off-Grid to Self-Reliance

An Inspiring, True Story of Courage and Determination

By: Annie Dodds

Narrated by: Pam Ward

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

The inspiring, true story of Anne Dodds.  

When her husband passed away after a long, trying illness, Annie Dodds was forced to sell almost everything to settle his estate. Homeless, with little money, she wondered if it might be time to pursue a decades-old dream of living a quiet, self-sufficient life alone, off-grid. One day, when her son told her he knew of an old house on 50 acres, she knew it was time.  

Feeling empowered and prepared by having read so much over the years, she loaded her belongings into the back of her pickup truck. But as she pulled into the driveway that first day, she could not imagine the challenges she would face, the obstacles she would overcome, the self-doubts she would master, and the soul-strengthening peace and contentment she would find living in a rundown old home on 50 acres of country heaven.

©2014 Anne Dodds (P)2019 Tantor

Interesting Memoir

Really interesting memoir of a women living away from the city and her grit and determination to survive.
Very well written.
Also the narrator's Southern accent gave it an authentic flavour.
I loved the sheer raw courage of this feisty woman living in a tough world.

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome story, perfect narration for the story line, too. So funny...The last few weeks I'd been thinking of going off grid again myself and asked God for his guidance. Then by "chance", I came across this book...and it was my answer. Thank You Annie for sharing your story!!!

The narrator nailed it.

The narrator was great. It felt like I was listening to Annie tell her story from memory. I could feel the emotion at every turn. I admire Annie’s courage and how she truly appreciated the beauty and wonder of nature and wasn’t afraid hard work. Totally the life I may end up living. I tried to find more information on Annie Dodds and came up empty. I wish my grandma had told me stories like this. What a great thing to hand down to her future generations.

Not What I Expected, I Love it Even More

This story was not what I was expecting. I had envisioned a strong, independent woman who threw in the towel on society and drove off to a remote location to enjoy life in solitude. Annie is a strong and independent woman, who know doubt proved herself very resilient following the death of her husband. It's just her motivation for doing what she did was not spurred by a sense of adventure, but desperation, when her husband died and left her nothing, practically penniless, and needing to sell her trailer to pay of his debt.

However, once she is there, the story really starts to unfold and Annie's personality and determination shines through, along with her sense of humor, which made me choke on my morning coffee more than once.
She somehow turns what most would deem a nightmare situation into a life worth living, and one she enjoys immensely.
I am the same exact age Annie was when she began her life living off grid, and while I am no wimp, and have even longed to live remote myself, Annie's bravado in the face of obstacles and hard luck is just plain inspiring. She is resourceful and did I mention she has a great sense of humor? This book is funny, inspirational, and captivating. I have listened to it 4 times now.

I grew very attached to Annie while sharing in her adventure. I wanted good things for her, I hoped for her, laughed with her, and rooted for her all the way. It was just that I wished that I didn't keep having too!!!! I so wanted a happy ending for this spunky, gutsy, down on her luck gal. I am sure Annie wanted a happy ending too but neither of us got it. Annie got bittersweet memories she will cherish a lifetime, and I got a story I won't soon forget. The story was not what I had hoped. The ending was not what I expected. Yet, I ended up loving it even more.

PS. A review of this audio book would not be complete without giving huge kudos to the narrator. The story was brilliantly narrated by Pam Ward. Her talent brought so much to the story and was believable and enjoyable in every way. It is so rare to find a narrator's performance so spot on! Perfection! Kudos to Pam Ward for her considerable contribution to my enjoyment of this audio book.

everything

first of the reader was perfect, her voice made me feel like it was the writer telling her own story. written so personally. beautiful story and so inspiring

wonderful book!

I can not say enough about this book. wonderfully written, you feel like you right there with her and come to know the author. this narrator does an exceptional job, perfect voice for this book.

Inspiringly honest and heartfelt!

I found this book to be very inspiring. Annie Dodds was completely honest and open about all of her feelings good, bad, ugly, didn't matter. That takes a lot of courage. I found that after listening to it that I realized that it takes someone willing to be very open to share their feelings to help create a community where all of us are willing to listen to each other's point of view and feel their feelings. It's only then that we can become a real community and help each other heal as we become open and vulnerable. Hiding our feelings leaves alienated, isolated and alone. I applaud Annie's book and highly recommend it to anyone seeking their own truth!

Loved this story

I liked the details of the house and how she’d persevere, without whining. I liked her! I love nature as she and simplicity. Her endurance was awesome and I think I couldn’t do the same but we do what we have to. Liked that she chose off the grid instead of a shelter and miserable job. I like how she thinks. I’d be friends with her, and I appreciate her sharper story❤️

Good Story

I liked this story. I was looking for something where it was more of a remote, grow your own food and hunt story. This was not that, but it is a very good true life story of a widow and her struggles off grid. Narrator was good

I loved this book!

I love memoirs about strong women, and this book held my interest to the very end. It was one of my faves. I think the narrator did a perfect job with it, too. Totally recommend it.

Realistic telling of a tough tale

This is a story about how living on your wits can develop your character. Annie doesn't try to grow her own food or raise her own livestock, she works hard to earn the money she needs to live independently in a remote rented property, miles from her neighbours. The constant companionship of her dogs and gun evoke a quite different life from that portrayed on aspirational UK daytime TV: this is real, hard life where the environment is set against you.
A wake up if "Build a new life in the country" seems daunting to you.

Enjoyed this book!

Very real story, gave a quirky insite to the various mindsets of this lady's life adventure in off-grid Texas including the normalization of gun culture and needing to defend yourself in the middle of nowhere 4 miles from you nearest neghbours. I enjoyed and giggled at the sweetness of her stories passing triumphs, like finding a water source, sycrochonistically finding or trading for what she needed at the right time and being being generally inovative and self reliant. Respect!