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Still Life With Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea
"Frank, funny and helpful."— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the millions who loved A Year by the Sea comes a memoir of a woman who awakens at midlife to find wisdom in a most unlikely place
In this beautifully written and frequently funny memoir, Catherine Goldhammer, newly separated, along with her twelve-year-old daughter, starts life anew in a cottage by the sea, in a rustic town where live bait is sold from vending machines. Partly to please her daughter and partly for reasons not clear to her at the time, she begins this year of transition by purchasing six baby chickens—whose job, she comes to suspect, is to pull her and her daughter forward out of one life and into another.
An unforgettable story filled with hope and grace, Still Life with Chickens shows how transcendent wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places.
For the millions who loved A Year by the Sea comes a memoir of a woman who awakens at midlife to find wisdom in a most unlikely place
In this beautifully written and frequently funny memoir, Catherine Goldhammer, newly separated, along with her twelve-year-old daughter, starts life anew in a cottage by the sea, in a rustic town where live bait is sold from vending machines. Partly to please her daughter and partly for reasons not clear to her at the time, she begins this year of transition by purchasing six baby chickens—whose job, she comes to suspect, is to pull her and her daughter forward out of one life and into another.
An unforgettable story filled with hope and grace, Still Life with Chickens shows how transcendent wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places.
219 pages
First published April 20, 2006
16 people are currently reading
646 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Goldhammer
2 books5 followersCatherine Goldhammer is a graduate of Goddard College and was a poetry fellow in the fine arts program at the University of Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
September 14, 2019
The author had me at: "This is the story of my foray into the salvation of one sorry house and garden and one slightly tattered soul."
That sounded so familiar, and the writing was so poetic and at the same time so down to earth that I knew I was going to like this book. And it didn't disappoint.
I recommend it primarily for women who are going through any kind of a major life transition and are looking for that proverbial rope to pull them forward. This book is a great reminder that humans are more resilient than we sometimes give ourselves credit for, and that the people and causes that can inspire us to keep going are often right under our noses.
And, for anyone who has ever adopted a house, or a pet -- or both -- to get through one of those major life transitions, this book will strike many familiar chords.
"I had thought I was renovating a house. I didn't know that in the process I would also rebuild my life."
Make a cup of tea and spend an afternoon with this little book. You'll be laughing, crying and saying "amen sister," all the way to the end.
That sounded so familiar, and the writing was so poetic and at the same time so down to earth that I knew I was going to like this book. And it didn't disappoint.
I recommend it primarily for women who are going through any kind of a major life transition and are looking for that proverbial rope to pull them forward. This book is a great reminder that humans are more resilient than we sometimes give ourselves credit for, and that the people and causes that can inspire us to keep going are often right under our noses.
And, for anyone who has ever adopted a house, or a pet -- or both -- to get through one of those major life transitions, this book will strike many familiar chords.
"I had thought I was renovating a house. I didn't know that in the process I would also rebuild my life."
Make a cup of tea and spend an afternoon with this little book. You'll be laughing, crying and saying "amen sister," all the way to the end.
September 21, 2013
Parts of this book are interesting. The overall effect is damaged, however, when you realize that the author presents herself as working with diminished resources when she is not, not really. So the "brave little me" tone in parts of the book kind of fell flat for me when I realized that she can buy a new house without having sold the old first, hire a veritable army of workmen to repair the new house from top to bottom, live quite well without a paying job, do all of the things she used to do, invite her friends and daughter's friends over without embarrassment (new house can't be too bad, can it), and quit the part-time job she does finally get without giving notice and without having another one lined up. I felt suckered in by this book. It's dishonest at the core.
February 3, 2008
For some reason, even though I've read this twice before courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia, I just HAD to run out to Borders, buy it, and read it again. It's quick read, and I love the author's wry humor and playful way with words that never becomes too twee. It's one of those "after the divorce/single mama with child" memoirs, as my boss said when he spotted me carrying it, but it's never run of the mill. Goldhammer and daughter did indeed have six, count 'em, six very colorful chickens, and once you read all the sturm und drang of caring for chickens (especially in the city), you'll never look at an egg the same way again. A good read for those interested in housing rehab nightmares, living a Schlitz life in a Champagne neighborhood, motherhood, wild children, urban farm fantasies, forging a family out of neighbors, beloved friends, exes you love but just can't be married to, and, of course, chickens.
October 30, 2022
I like the honesty of this memoir and that it was just a real life story - she didn't do anything exotic. She made choices most people could make and still learned from it.
I appreciated that the writing was at time poetic.
I appreciated that the writing was at time poetic.
July 25, 2010
This book was fun to read, I laughed out loud at the decription of the thoughts chickens have. I had a difficult time when she wrote about financial difficulty. She bought a house at the beach ! It reminded me of an old joke. A little rich girl is given a writing assignment, to write about a poor family. She started out, " Once there was a poor family. The parents were poor, the kids were poor, the butler was poor, the cook was poor. Everybody was poor."
September 8, 2008
When I got to the end of this book I cried. I was expecting a sort of funny little story about a divorced women and her kid who got chickens as a way of getting through the divorce and move and all. I wasn't expecting a book that would have meaning.
September 26, 2015
I would have read this book simply for the title, but one of our book club members chose it and I'm glad she did. The writing's lovely. It could not be easy to describe chickens in such an enchanting way. I also liked the author's honesty.
February 10, 2016
post-divorce, middle-aged woman w/daughter recovery sort of book. quick and entertaining, but there was something a little too cloying about it/goldhammer that sort of bugged me. sorry, i can't put a better finger on it. when i am middle-aged and recovering from life, i am far more likely to want to buy a house by the ocean and restore it and raise chickens than other options presented by memoirs, and yet ...
April 10, 2011
This is a quiet book about starting over, but don't expect excitement or revelation. The author has an amicable divorce, if left with plenty of money to hire workers to renovate her new neglected cottage with the beautiful view. The best part is the scenery, the Northeast weather, and the wonderful details of raising chickens.
June 28, 2011
After reading this book, I cannot fathom why (a) anyone would want to raise chickens, (b) why anyone would want to live in a place like Six Mile Beach, especially in the winter, and (c) why some people make their lives so hard.
November 7, 2024
A lovely little book about starting over and also raising chickens. There was much about Catherine’s story that I could relate to and so it touched me. I’ve often thought about having chickens but this book affirmed what I suspected, it’s a lot of work.
Catherine says, “I was living beyond my means in the house of my daughter’s childhood. A columnist once said that, ‘The lawns are green, and the hearts are cold’ in the affluent village my husband and I had moved to several years before.” She thereafter refers to this place she moves away from as “Hearts-Are-Cold”. I can totally relate because I raised my children in “Hearts-Are-Cold”. Different town in a different state but not so different from what Catherine describes. And like Catherine, I never quite fit in. I used to refer to it as Stepford.
Catherine moves to a place not far from “Hearts-Are-Cold” but as different as night and day. A small hamlet near the ocean where she begins her new life.
Although I loved what Catherine wrote, I think it could have been so much more. There are several chapters where she doesn’t mention the chickens at all. She gets a little too caught up in the home renovations which overshadows the real meaning of the move.
Catherine says, “I was living beyond my means in the house of my daughter’s childhood. A columnist once said that, ‘The lawns are green, and the hearts are cold’ in the affluent village my husband and I had moved to several years before.” She thereafter refers to this place she moves away from as “Hearts-Are-Cold”. I can totally relate because I raised my children in “Hearts-Are-Cold”. Different town in a different state but not so different from what Catherine describes. And like Catherine, I never quite fit in. I used to refer to it as Stepford.
Catherine moves to a place not far from “Hearts-Are-Cold” but as different as night and day. A small hamlet near the ocean where she begins her new life.
Although I loved what Catherine wrote, I think it could have been so much more. There are several chapters where she doesn’t mention the chickens at all. She gets a little too caught up in the home renovations which overshadows the real meaning of the move.
February 6, 2018
Fun, easy read book about a woman finding meaning in life when she goes from an affluent lifestyle to a more simpler way of living. Quick read and worth the time. Plus there are chickens!
September 29, 2020
Well, that was fine. I’m not sure what I needed from a book where a woman starts over in a small house by the ocean, but it was maybe a bit more than that.
May 16, 2024
Wasn’t I surprised to find that this book really was about chickens! The author had recently separated from her husband and wanted a less expensive home for her and her teenage daughter, and somehow she also wanted chickens. She found a home that needed tons of work, moved from the wealthy neighborhood to a nearby short stretch of Massachusetts ocean. All the work she had done to the new house certainly made me never want to have to do that! And the chickens and her daughter survived. Well written, but I would have preferred more personal interaction and less construction. And those poor chickens!!
September 15, 2015
I found this little book charming and delightful to read. It's a quick, light, fun read. The author is a poet and it is well written - poetic. She is also humorous and I smiled a lot reading it!
This is a true story about a woman who following a divorce sells her grand home in a prestigious part of town. She moves to a more humble home - by the water - in desperate need of renovations. In order to get her 12 year old daughter interested in moving, she agrees to allow her to raise chickens (something her daughter always wanted to do).
I knew nothing about raising chickens before I read this book. As a "city person" I actually thought you just go in and throw them some seed in the morning and pick up the eggs. The book describes all the work involved in caring for chickens in amusing detail. I actually learned a lot about raising chickens reading this book! I have a new appreciation for how challenging it is and how much work is involved.
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews on Goodreads for this book. Although I enjoyed the book myself, I can understand that some people reading it may not have had life so easy following a divorce and/or have had to "start over" following other problems in their lives. This particular woman had the resources and freedom to do a lot of things other women who are divorced and raising a child may not have the time or money to do.
What I liked:
the book was light and easy to read
it was a fun read - parts of it were really funny
I learned a lot about chickens - something I knew nothing about
What I didn't like:
some of her humor in the book - was used repeatedly and wore out a bit ex. her references to her former well to do neighbor as "Hearts are Cold." I found it funny the first few times - but tired of it by the end of the book
Although she had negative feelings toward her former"well to do" neighborhood and the people in it - she herself appeared to have lots of time and resources. There are others who have had much more challenging experiences following divorce than raising chickens.
All in all, I recommend the book if you'd like to read something quick, funny and different. I was glad I read it!
This is a true story about a woman who following a divorce sells her grand home in a prestigious part of town. She moves to a more humble home - by the water - in desperate need of renovations. In order to get her 12 year old daughter interested in moving, she agrees to allow her to raise chickens (something her daughter always wanted to do).
I knew nothing about raising chickens before I read this book. As a "city person" I actually thought you just go in and throw them some seed in the morning and pick up the eggs. The book describes all the work involved in caring for chickens in amusing detail. I actually learned a lot about raising chickens reading this book! I have a new appreciation for how challenging it is and how much work is involved.
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews on Goodreads for this book. Although I enjoyed the book myself, I can understand that some people reading it may not have had life so easy following a divorce and/or have had to "start over" following other problems in their lives. This particular woman had the resources and freedom to do a lot of things other women who are divorced and raising a child may not have the time or money to do.
What I liked:
the book was light and easy to read
it was a fun read - parts of it were really funny
I learned a lot about chickens - something I knew nothing about
What I didn't like:
some of her humor in the book - was used repeatedly and wore out a bit ex. her references to her former well to do neighbor as "Hearts are Cold." I found it funny the first few times - but tired of it by the end of the book
Although she had negative feelings toward her former"well to do" neighborhood and the people in it - she herself appeared to have lots of time and resources. There are others who have had much more challenging experiences following divorce than raising chickens.
All in all, I recommend the book if you'd like to read something quick, funny and different. I was glad I read it!
February 23, 2013
Susan Ovans, the publisher of the Hull Times, and a Goodreads member (her reviews are often better than those found in the NYT Book Review) suggested I read this small, unassuming book. Its unassuming narrator, Catherine Goldhammer, narrates from Hull, or “Six Mile Beach.”
Goldhammer, newly separated, chronicles her perspective through a common lifestyle transition, and symbolically informs her readers by using one of earth’s most common creatures: the chicken. Her challenges multiply exponentially when she and her 12 year-old-daughter move away from a wealthy but disconnected suburban town. Goldhammer relocates to a gritty, wind-shaped peninsula and a run down house affectionately named Dragonfly Farm. It needs work, a lot of work, but it is enchanting.
At the intellectual and tenacious requests of her daughter, Goldhammer begrudgingly acquires six baby chickens. The bathroom and bathtub are lovingly prepared to house the birds until moving day.
Goldhammer’s enchantingly humble account of this life’s chapter can do nothing else but delight the reader. Early on in the book, we must like the narrator, feel for her challenges and simple accomplishments, and smile along with her. I found myself cheerleading the chickens through the coop-building, town meetings, neighbor-placating, seasonal hazards and egg-laying.
The writing is elegantly understated, a fine example of “show, don’t tell” writing. I appreciated the reminder of how any small thing can be filled with dimension and color. Likening chickens to Zen monks in walking meditation, the simplicity is fascinating and calming to Goldhammer.
Goldhammer, newly separated, chronicles her perspective through a common lifestyle transition, and symbolically informs her readers by using one of earth’s most common creatures: the chicken. Her challenges multiply exponentially when she and her 12 year-old-daughter move away from a wealthy but disconnected suburban town. Goldhammer relocates to a gritty, wind-shaped peninsula and a run down house affectionately named Dragonfly Farm. It needs work, a lot of work, but it is enchanting.
At the intellectual and tenacious requests of her daughter, Goldhammer begrudgingly acquires six baby chickens. The bathroom and bathtub are lovingly prepared to house the birds until moving day.
Goldhammer’s enchantingly humble account of this life’s chapter can do nothing else but delight the reader. Early on in the book, we must like the narrator, feel for her challenges and simple accomplishments, and smile along with her. I found myself cheerleading the chickens through the coop-building, town meetings, neighbor-placating, seasonal hazards and egg-laying.
The writing is elegantly understated, a fine example of “show, don’t tell” writing. I appreciated the reminder of how any small thing can be filled with dimension and color. Likening chickens to Zen monks in walking meditation, the simplicity is fascinating and calming to Goldhammer.
January 2, 2024
A good book. I wanted it to be better. This is another case of a book that seemed truncated, there was more to the story but we didn’t get it. It felt like I was reading the abridged version, when I knew the full length edition would be so much better. Author Goldhammer (and her daughter) embark on a new life when her marriage falls apart; she gets the house, but she can’t afford that life anymore. With the help of her uber-energized realtor Penny, she sells up well and relo’s to a downsized house, downsized town, downsized but oh-so-much-better world. Any number of the vignettes presented here were fascinating, almost all would have been better for additional exposition.
Oh, and the book has one of the best opens I’ve ever read: “I did not have a year in Provence or a villa under the Tuscan sun. I did not have a farm in Africa. Instead, my resources dictated a move to a run-down cottage in a honky-tonk town…” I read those memoirs by Mayle, Mayes, and Dineson and every one was a superb reading experience, this one could have been that good if only we’d gotten the whole story. This is, however, well worth a look-see.
Oh, and the book has one of the best opens I’ve ever read: “I did not have a year in Provence or a villa under the Tuscan sun. I did not have a farm in Africa. Instead, my resources dictated a move to a run-down cottage in a honky-tonk town…” I read those memoirs by Mayle, Mayes, and Dineson and every one was a superb reading experience, this one could have been that good if only we’d gotten the whole story. This is, however, well worth a look-see.
September 26, 2011
In the midst of getting divorced, selling her home, and buying a smaller home in a less wealthy neighborhood, Catherine finds herself deadlocked with her 12 year old daughter who refuses to move, refuses to stop pouting, refuses to give her mom a break.
So, she does what every parent knows not to do, but most of us do anyway when faced with a difficult situation and an obstructive child. She bribes her daughter. Now this daughter loves animals, so the perfect bribe was six fluffy chicks. Unfortunately, said daughter went right to work to become an expert on chickens and announced they had to be purchased in the Spring.
Moving was scheduled for July. Catherine gamely set about cleaning every day for potential house buyers while hiding and raising six fluffy chicks in the bathtub. I'm in awe.
This was a lovely little book. Catherine shares the small details of her year of loss, of coping, of regaining her hope.
So, she does what every parent knows not to do, but most of us do anyway when faced with a difficult situation and an obstructive child. She bribes her daughter. Now this daughter loves animals, so the perfect bribe was six fluffy chicks. Unfortunately, said daughter went right to work to become an expert on chickens and announced they had to be purchased in the Spring.
Moving was scheduled for July. Catherine gamely set about cleaning every day for potential house buyers while hiding and raising six fluffy chicks in the bathtub. I'm in awe.
This was a lovely little book. Catherine shares the small details of her year of loss, of coping, of regaining her hope.
March 11, 2009
The author says "I did not have a year in Provence or a villa under the Tuscan sun. I did not have a farm in Africa. It turned out that my life was not someone else's book." This was a delightful little book, only 178 pages, and a paperback-sized hardback. She tells about her life throughout about 2 years, as she recovers from a divorce, is forced to sell her home, lives with a 13-year-old and renovates a ramshackle cottage. She promised her daughter chickens, and they are the theme throughout the book. How are the chickens doing? how are the humans doing?
A very enjoyable read, especially if you have ever had or wanted to have chickens.
A very enjoyable read, especially if you have ever had or wanted to have chickens.
July 16, 2009
I enjoyed the adventures with the chickens, but I could not relate to her "diminished resources."
I realize that the author found her circumstances bewildering and stressful, but I think she should be grateful that she had the resources to buy a house, renovate it, and not work full time. That sounds like a blessing to me.
If I could afford to renovate my house, that would be a cause for celebration, not rumination on how poor I am. Also, if I wasn't working full time, I'd probably have time to build lots of chicken coops.
I realize that the author found her circumstances bewildering and stressful, but I think she should be grateful that she had the resources to buy a house, renovate it, and not work full time. That sounds like a blessing to me.
If I could afford to renovate my house, that would be a cause for celebration, not rumination on how poor I am. Also, if I wasn't working full time, I'd probably have time to build lots of chicken coops.
July 27, 2008
I have to complain again, after reading two memoirs in a row, that photos are so important to memoirs! There were no pics whatsoever of her chickens or the shabby cottage that she renovated. Unlike the other reviewers, I did not enjoy her writing style. She was often struggling to be funny which made her story strain and seemed far-fetched. I didn't get it. Was this book about her chickens, the renovation, or her weird daughter?
August 3, 2017
This somewhat maudlin, self-indulgent memoir has lots of details about chickens and home repair. A sort of hippy-dippy gal has a wonderful amicable divorce (!!!!) and as a result is reduced to living in a cottage at the beach. Boo-hoo. A single quote tells it all. P. 22 “Getting chickens at any time is a monumental decision.”
November 10, 2018
Disappointing. While I thought a persons personal emotion journey would be interesting, this one just smacks of unacknowledged privilege (yes, the acknowledgement is important). She rallied against "Hearts-Are-Cold" yet constantly made it clear to the reader that, not to worry, she was not actually poor, just not as rich as the other folks. Bleck. Don't waste your time.
April 30, 2020
When weeding books in a library there is always the risk that those books will end up in your bag. I honestly tossed this in because it was short and looked cute. COVID has turned my literary taste into that of lazy sophomore. I was quite pleased with the result and am now going to search my shelves for more short cute books.
September 8, 2010
A good "starting-over" memoir. Normally I don't like this kind of book (i didn't get past page 30 in Eat Pray Love) but I liked this one. And I learned a lot about chickens.
December 21, 2008
Interesting, well-written book about starting over as a sigle parent.
June 3, 2009
I loved the way this book wasn't a sob story. She's getting a divorce and starting over--it could have been quite the dram. Instead, she offers beautiful language and restraint.
May 26, 2010
This book has it's moments. If you are a chicken lover and owner (like myself) you will appreciate the book even more. It's short and sometimes cute but not a "must read".
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September 1, 2012Small, uncomplicated, lovely. Reading this book was like carrying around a long letter from a friend you love hearing from.
November 8, 2014
Just a cute, feel good book. But then I love my chickens too
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews