Bootstrapper : From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm

Poignant, Irreverent, And Hilarious: The Memoir Of A Mother Who, After Ending Her Nineteen-year Marriage, Staves Off A Perpetually Empty Bank Account And, With The Help Of Her Three Young Sons, Saves Her Century-old Farmhouse From Foreclosure And Reclaims Her Life. It's The Summer Of 2005, And Mardi Jo Link's Dream Of Living The Simple Life Has Unraveled Into Debt, Heartbreak, And Perpetually Ragged Cuticles. But When She And Her Husband Call It Quits, Leaving Her More Broke Than Ever, Link Makes A Seemingly Impossible Resolution: To Hang On To Her Northern Michigan Farm And Continue To Raise Her Boys On Well Water And Wood Chopping And Dirt. Armed With An Unfailing Sense Of Humor And Three Resolute Accomplices, Link Confronts Blizzards And Coyotes, Learns About Zen Divorce And The Best Way To Butcher A Hog, Dominates A Zucchini-growing Contest And Wins A Year's Supply Of Local Bread, Masters The Art Of Bargain Cooking, Deals With Rampaging Poultry, And Finds Her Way To A Truly Rich Existence. Told With Endless Heart And Candor, Bootstrapper Is A Story Of Motherhood And Survival And Self-discovery, Of An Indomitable Woman Who, Against All The Odds, Holds On To What Matters Most-- Mardi Jo Link. Poignant, irreverent, and hilarious: a memoir about survival and self-discovery, by an indomitable woman who never loses sight of what matters most.#160; Its the summer of 2005, and Mardi Jo Links dream of living the simple life has unraveled into debt, heartbreak, and perpetually ragged cuticles. She and her husband of nineteen years have just called it quits, leaving her with serious cash-flow problems and a looming divorce. More broke than ever, Link makes a seemingly impossible resolution: to hang on to her century-old farmhouse in northern Michigan and continue to raise her three boys on well water and wood chopping and dirt. Armed with an unfailing sense of humor and three resolute accomplices, Link confronts blizzards and foxes, learns about Zen divorce and the best way to butcher a hog, dominates a zucchini-growing contest and wins a years supply of local bread, masters the art of bargain cooking, wrangles rampaging poultry, and withstands any blow to her pride in order to preserve the life she wants. With an infectious optimism that would put Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm to shame and a deep appreciation of the natural world, Link tells the story of how, over the course of one long year, she holds on to her sons, saves the farm from foreclosure, and finds her way back to a life of richness and meaning on the land she loves.#160; This ebook edition includes a Reading Group Guide.#160 "Poignant, irreverent, and hilarious: the memoir of a mother who, after ending her nineteen-year marriage, staves off a perpetually empty bank account and, with the help of her three young sons, saves her century-old farmhouse from foreclosure and reclaims her life. It's the summer of 2005, and Mardi Jo Link's dream of living the simple life has unraveled into debt, heartbreak, and perpetually ragged cuticles. But when she and her husband call it quits, leaving her more broke than ever, Link makes a seemingly impossible resolution: to hang on to her northern Michigan farm and continue to raise her boys on well water and wood chopping and dirt. Armed with an unfailing sense of humor and three resolute accomplices, Link confronts blizzards and coyotes, learns about Zen divorce and the best way to butcher a hog, dominates a zucchini-growing contest and wins a year's supply of local bread, masters the art of bargain cooking, deals with rampaging poultry, and finds her way to a truly rich existence. Told with endless heart and candor, Bootstrapper is a story of motherhood and survival and self-discovery, of an indomitable woman who, against all the odds, holds on to what matters most"-- Provided by publisher Poignant, irreverent, and hilarious: the memoir of a woman who, after ending her nineteen-year marriage, staves off a perpetually empty bank account, saves her century-old farmhouse from foreclosure with the help of her three young sons, and reclaims her life. It's the summer of 2005, and Mardi Jo Link's dream of living the simple life has unraveled into debt, heartbreak, and perpetually ragged cuticles. Still, when she and her husband call it quits, leaving her more broke than ever, Link makes a seemingly impossible resolution: to hang on to her northern Michigan farm and continue to raise her boys on well water and wood chopping and dirt. Armed with an unfailing sense of humor and her three resolute accomplices, Link confronts blizzards and coyotes, learns about Zen divorce and the best way to butcher a hog, dominates a zucchini-growing contest and wins a year's supply of local bread, masters the art of bargain cooking, deals with rampaging poultry, and finds her way to a truly rich existence. Told with endless heart and candor, Bootstrapper is a story of motherhood and survival and self-discovery, of an indomitable woman who, against all the odds, holds on to what matters most.