Book Review: The Art of Farming by T.D. Motley

The Art of Farming: Sketches of a Life in the Country by T. D. Motley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Warm and homey farm life of a retired art professor.

The Art of Farming is a new novel by T.D. Motley tells the story of an artist and former art professor’s second career following in the footsteps of his family as a farmer in North Texas. The narrative is warm and welcoming, imparting the main character’s obvious love of the land, nature, and his new life, with lovely imagery and surprising comparisons from art history and other unexpected places.

Sam Barlett is a man with a diverse history. Although he came from a farming family, he pursued a career in the art world as both a working artist and a college professor. A four-year stint in the Air Force stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota further broadened his life experiences. For his encore, he’s developed a small farm in North Texas, growing and selling organic herbs and specialty vegetables. While officially retired from teaching art, he still creates his own and opens his farm up twice a year to visits from the local college art classes to learn about painting landscapes.

Farming is a 24/7, 52-weeks-a-year occupation, especially when raising livestock as well as growing crops. There is a menagerie on the farm, including a pack of well-loved dogs. Sam shares the sad story of losing a special dog, Murph, and it is absolutely like hearing about the death of a family member.

The author includes details about the varieties of herbs and vegetables Sam grows or experiments with, and there are some extremely tantalizing discussions of how they are used in cooking. Sam’s partner, Annie, is a writer who researches food for her articles and an in-progress cookbook. She travels to locations where the cuisine featured can be authentically experienced but experiments with what she’s learned once she’s back home at the farm, leading to additions to the farm’s crop list.

Sam often talks about artists whose work comes to mind when he’s describing his new life, chores, or the views he has on his property. Readers shouldn’t be surprised that Sam’s descriptions are vivid and evocative; he’s speaking from his heart and through the eyes of an artist. In addition, many intriguing facts pop up throughout the book, and I was frequently compelled to pause my reading and Google more about them. The topics were as diverse as an artist mentioned or objects such as an artist’s “donkey” or even the familiar Strategic Air Command. These searches, of course, inevitably led down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. I learned so much and enjoyed every minute.

I recommend THE ART OF FARMING to readers interested in real farming (not hobby farming), rural life, organic gardening, and living a fulfilling retirement.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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