Chicken Scratch: Stories of Love, Risk & Poultry by Kelly Chripczuk is a delightful and humorous short memoir of a woman who decides to buy herself a flock of chickens for her thirty-ninth birthday. In the pages that follow the momentous purchase Chripczuk writes of the practical realities of taking on chickens, of a rooster gone rogue, of rescuing chickens from the neighbor's yard, and how chicken care intersected with daily family life.
In the introduction Chripczuk shares how it was her blossoming discovery and love of the Psalms that opened her eyes to see that God is present in the mundane and ordinary moments of life. Raising chickens came at a crossroad in her own life and provided the perfect opportunity for Chripczuk to pick up her waiting pen and record the remarkable in the seemingly unremarkable.
This is a great book for someone like me who loves to photograph chickens and "thinks" they might be fun to raise. After visiting my friend in Michigan last fall, and now reading this book, it appears that chickens are a lot of work! I suppose most things worthwhile in life are like that! And you know what, I think that if you aren't learning life lessons raising chickens then God will use whatever other activity you are doing to bring the lessons to your door! This book is a great way to vicariously "live the chicken dream" and it would also be a fun and sympathetic read for those who are actually in the "chicken business."
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3 comments:
"I think that if you aren't learning life lessons raising chickens then God will use whatever other activity you are doing to bring the lessons to your door!"
oh that is so true, Heather.
Thank you for this kind review, Heather! And, over the past year, we've let a lot of the chicken work slide (or passed it on to our kids) - grown hens are easier than babies and teens too, so, don't let my honesty deter you from following that urge to own hens!
Our library doesn't have this book...I checked! Our rooster, Zeus, was attacked two weeks ago and has occupied hours of time towards his healing. Of course, I went the extra mile and gave him numerous baths with whole containers of salt to help disinfect the dog germs from his wounds. Thankful to Neosporin and BagBalm for the other element of healing him too! At this point, he only has a few puncture wounds left to heal, and unbelievably, his feather-points are sticking out as if he were a porcupine! After two weeks of intensive TLC, I believe I can safely conclude he WILL live after all! Like Kelly said, once they are adults they are SO much less of a time drag, but boy, the months of caring for them as chicks are intensive! Thanks for the review on Chicken Scratch, I'll keep my eye out!
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