A Story of Love, Livestock, and Finding
Myself on a Farm
Bantam Dell 2000 ISBN 055338015X

Jeanne Marie Laskas had dreams of life on a farm that she couldn't get out of her head. A dream of fleeing her otherwise happy urban life for fresh air and open space. A dream she would discover was about something more profound than that. A dream she never expected to come true. Until a hot summer afternoon led to a drive in the country, where a place that had existed only in her fantasies turned out to be real—and for sale.

The place is almost too perfect to be believed, but there it is: a pretty-as-a-postcard farm, with an Amish barn, a chestnut grove, and vistas so beautiful, they take her breath away. And in that moment she knows that this is the spot where her future begins. So she drags her boyfriend Alex, a committed urban dweller with zero agricultural awareness who owns a poodle, into her scheme, hoping that love will somehow conquer all.

But buying a postcard—fifty acres of scenery—and living on it are two entirely different matters.

In this funny yet tender tale, Laskas shares what happens when you follow your dream—and what happens when it's almost snatched away.

Fifty Acres and a Poodle is a charming and surprisingly poignant memoir of Jeanne Marie Laskas' first year on Sweetwater Farm. It is a journey peopled by unforgettable characters: Billy, the local contractor who bulldozes her briars, takes her shopping for tractors, and advises her on buying a mule; Tim, the FedEx driver whose truck becomes Marley's obsession and nearly his downfall; the local hunters who present her with an entire wardrobe of blaze-orange hats; and Bob the cat, whose valiant fight for life gives her the courage to love.

Jeanne Marie Laskas writes with exhilarating wit and extraordinary wisdom about life, love, and finding your true self on a farm.

Interview on Bill Thompson's Eye On Books

Take a city-dwelling couple and plop them down in the middle of rural America and you get a bestselling book by journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas. It's not a work of fiction– this is her story, and this book is a continuation of the story begun in her first book, Fifty Acres And a Poodle.

Listen to the interview >

Reviews

"Rarely has a city girl transformed herself into a country goddess with such humor."
–Rita Mae Brown

"A delightful memoir about love and relocation…[by] an accomplished journalist and also a deft storyteller…Hilarious…a pleasurable read indeed."
–Newsday

"Jeanne Marie Laskas is the thinking woman's Erma Bombeck…[with] a talent for finding wisdom in daily life…Even the most entrenched urbanite will be charmed by this book."
–Andrea Sachs, Time.com.

"A touching story told lyrically, and a story that offers wisdom for us readers to consider."
–Dr. Robert Coles, Pulitzer Prize winner

"For anyone who'd like to chuck it all and move to the country."
–The Washington Post

"Humorous...This true-life tale charts a big-city girl's transformation to farm gal."
–People

"Jeanne Marie Laskas is a formidable reporter and one damn fine writer."
–Esquire