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Book Review of Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life

Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life
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Helpful Score: 3


Made from Scratch is two books in one: it is part memoir and part how-to. Each chapter covers a specific topic, such as raising chickens, sewing, or gardening. The author tells of her experiences learning and practicing those subjects, then gives an overview of what is needed and how to do those things. While the instructional parts are not designed to be comprehensive, they do give a good idea of what financial and time investment will be necessary. Not all of the topics will be practical or appeal to everyone (for example, I cannot imagine my dog pulling a sleigh or carting eggs and vegetables!), but Jenna Woginrich's warm and honest descriptions of her efforts make those chapters worth reading anyway.

I recommend Made from Scratch to anyone who has dreams of homesteading. The reader is sure to find inspiration here, and the author helpfully lists additional books and websites with further information at the back of the book.