A Barn in New England: Making a Home on Three Acres

by Joseph Monninger

Book Overview

Published to glowing reviews in hardcover and now in a handsome paperback edition, Joseph Monninger's finely crafted memoir of moving with his family to a barn in rural New Hampshire is part dream come true, part unexpected adventure. "An utterly charming story, told with grace and insight" (Booklist starred review), A Barn in New England perfectly captures the beauty of the New England countryside, the tests of renovating a home, and the pleasures...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811840018
• ISBN13: 9780811840019
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"

Customer Reviews

A Meditation on Love, Family and Nature

I bought this book several years ago from the bookstore at Winterthur Gardens and Galleries, the Du Pont estate, in Wilmington, Delaware. I have read, and re-read, this book more times than I care to remember, which is more than I can say for some of the best-selling gardening or nature books in my library. Some people write about nature with authority, some with wonder, and others still with love. Monninger does all this and more. His tone is reminscent of Wordsworth who was detached observer of nature and smitten lover all at once. Contrast Wordsworth with Shelley's awe-struck and hushed ruminations on nature, and you will know at once what I mean and, perhaps, better identify Monninger's unique voice as a nature writer. But this is more than a book about nature outside us. It is also about the ecology of relationships - between a man and his dog, a man and his wife, and a man and his son, and, not least, about their collective relationships with one another as they settle into their lovely home, a barn, in New Hampshire. The self-help books are full of techniques about making marriages and child-rearing work. I couldn't help thinking, after reading this book, that perhaps the secret of a rich and stable family life is really quite simple: one needs two things: a shared vision of the life the family wants and then the shared burden of working towards it. So, even when there are nice paychecks, a handsome roof overhead, and a kitchen bursting with all the bounties of food, a family can still fail, except not really. Families do not fail. They just stop trying to work together. When I need to reawaken to this simple, yet profound truth, I read Monninger again and invariably, I am rewarded with a new raft of insights on love, family and nature.

Creating a Life

I just completed the relishing of Joseph Moninger's , A Barn. Agreeing with anothers veiwpoint of too much flowering descriptions I ignored a few choice lines and skipped to new paragraphs; yet with respect I know I would never have enjoyed the parts I did read if they had not been described with such love and experience. I am one of those "wanna be barn owners"; ever since I was eight years old and watched the people two streets over gut, renew and live in this massive building with huge windows and sturdy walls. I fell in love. Amongst all the eloquence this book offers; it is the underlying theme; the reason I did not read it, that leaves me speechless and in awe. It is in the storyline that Monninger weaves the secondary and yet primal thread of family and the fact, as he states, that he realized that he and Wendy were creating thier son's past. What a beautiful, thought provoking, loving and spiritually filled knowing. As they were focused on integrity during the ever present process of renewing this structure; they also were creating sustanance, substance and stablitiy for Pie. My son is twenty-three and if I ever get another opportunity to go around with him again; I pray that I rememeber that once we become parents; however that is gifted to us; that in our present we are creating our childs past.If you read this, Joseph Monninger, Wendy and Pie; thank you.

A different way of life

This is a great book that offers to show us a different way of life than most of us live. Having grown up in the suburbs of California, the oldest house I lived in was 30 years old. I never had to worry about heating, or beams falling apart things that are very real concers to Joe and his family. In addition to the general information about "barn" living, we see what it is like to integrate three lives into one new one. The stories of the deepening relationship between Joe and Pie are heartwarming and touching, as are the moments of closeness between Joe and Wendy.Mr. Monninger gives us a wonderful insight to barns, New England, and creating a new life with people that you love.

A wonderful story of settlign into a new place

This is a wonderful book about a settling into a new place, making it your own, and becoming a family.The characters became real to me and I felt like I was there living all the hardships and joys with Joe, Wendy and Pie. A must read for anyone who has ever bought a house, is buying a house, or thinking about buying a house.

A True Story of New Hampshire Living...in a Barn

"A Barn" is an outstanding true story that will hold your interest from start to finish. At first glance one would think the book is simply about renovating a barn.....but once you start reading - it becomes evident that the book is about more....a whole lot more. The reader enters the lives of Joe, Wendy, and Pie (oh....can't forget D-Dog) and often feels a part of the project and the lives. Monninger does an outstanding and accurate job of describing small-town living, life in New Hampshire, and the hardships associated with a project of this type. The book leaves me satisfied...and happy to be a New Englander. This should be required reading for New Englanders as well as those who often vacation up here.....or anybody who loves "the country".