The steep-climb highs and free-fall lows of a rollercoaster rural life…
You’ve Got to Be Kidding is the hilarious new take on country life by Todd Alexander. They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a new skill. Well, seven years (60,000 hours) since former city boys Todd and Jeff moved to the country they should have nailed this whole farming gig, right? Yes, they make lovely wine and have built beautiful accommodation, and they’ve even learnt how to look after their rescued farm animals. But they didn’t really count on Mother Nature getting involved.
Drought, bushfires, sick animals, failed crops, heatwaves, enormous changes in the two industries they rely on to make a living, snakes, the unstoppable breeding of peafowl, insurmountable debts and broken machinery…
Just when they think they’re on top of things, the land throws another few hurdles their way. But with fierce determination to succeed, willingness to evolve and irrepressible humour, these boys might be down for the count but they aren’t quite ready to throw in the towel just yet.
Todd Alexander’s memoir Thirty Thousand Bottles of Wine and a Pig Called Helga was a huge hit with our readers, who loved the heart-warming, honest story about a not-so-perfect tree change, and the things that we learn when we uproot our lives and start afresh. How many of us read that book and were ready to pack up our city lives and find our own tree change?
Now Todd is back with this fabulous follow up, You’ve Got to Be Kidding: A Shedload of Wine & a Farm Full of Goats, and dare I say it… I enjoyed this even more.
“You know the theory that says if you spend ten thousand hours doing something you’re probably going to become an expert at it? Well, I bet you a million dollars the guy who invented that theory never set foot on a farm.”
In this, Todd shares the ups and downs and harsh realities of their tree change. The key to Todd’s wonderful storytelling is that you feel like you know him, his partner Jeff, their family, their animals… and that you’re hearing these tales over a great bottle of wine. Probably one of theirs. I do volunteer work with a rescue group, and Todd’s tales of rescuing animals had me in stitches, cheering him on – there’s so much heart and kindness in this book. And don’t get me started on Winston the goat…
You’ve Got to Be Kidding is yet another well-written, hilarious, highly entertaining, and very heartfelt read from Todd, who has a no holds barred approach to sharing his life on the page. The truth to their tree change is laid beautifully bare. I can only hope there’s a third instalment down the track… I loved this. There are wonderful photos in the centre of the book and delicious vegan recipes at the end. From cover to stunning cover, it’s a read that will have you constantly laughing out loud… and isn’t that what we all need?!
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