Books published by Whitethorn Press

A gardening book for anyone who's dreamed of going back to the land and living a simpler life…After two city-bred Boomers weather their first, tumultuous year on their rural backyard farm, the couple foresees smooth sailing for the future…then they discover their homesteading journey has only begun. In this sequel to the award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, Little Farm Homegrown follows the continuing adventures of modern homesteaders Susan and her husband John as they pursue organic food-growing and self-reliance in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest-experiencing life-changing adversity and the ongoing joys and challenges of living closer to the land and transforming an old clearcut into a working homestead.In this lively true story, John and Susan cope with the demands of their middle years while raising chickens, creating a self-sufficient lifestyle, and living closer to-and often battling-nature. Like the first Little Farm in the Foothills memoir, Little Farm Homegrown is a warmhearted tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages!Praise for Little Farm in the Foothills, Book 1:"The Browne's foray into slower living…is an enjoyable read. Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book." -Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh

When two Boomers flee the city for a slower, simpler, and more serene lifestyle, they discover that simplicity can get awfully complicated… and life becomes anything but serene.In this award-winning, feel-good tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages, Little Farm in the Foothills follows a midlife couple’s pursuit of the “new” Great American Dream—living closer to the land—as they start growing their own organic food, living locally, and  transforming  an old clearcut into a little homestead.When Susan and her husband John first came up with the idea of having a country place, they were settled into a comfortable and convenient home in the city, happily raising some vegetables and berries in the back yard. Being experienced gardeners, they figured that relocating would be no big deal—they’d expand the garden a little, have a bit more peace and quiet. So they bought 10 acres in the middle of the woods and prepared to pretty much transfer that comfortable town life to the new property.But this modest plan becomes an adventure that is more life-changing than they could have ever imagined.There was so much to this new life they never faced before—breaking ground by hand and wildlife predation of their first crops. Despite a tight budget and many roadblocks along the way, they must also cope with unexpected adversity like isolation, infrastructure failures, and extreme weather.Little Farm in the Foothills is not a memoir about farming…it’s a warmhearted story of making a dream come true. As Susan writes of their Foothills home, “it’s not a farm, it’s not even a ‘farmette,’ but it’s the dream of a farm.”A Washington State Library “Summer Reads” book selection:“The Browne’s foray into slower living in Whatcom County is an enjoyable read.  Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book.”  —Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh“A delightful account.”  —The Bellingham Herald