Coop

“You can read Michael Perry’s Coop as an outrageously funny comedy about a semi-hapless neophyte navigating the pitfalls (and pratfalls) of the farming life. Please do, in fact. But scratch a little deeper, past Perry’s lusciously entertaining and epigrammatic prose, his ultra-charming combo of Midwestern earnestness and serrated wit, and you’ll find a reflective, sincere, and surprisingly touching-at times, even heart-cracking-story about a man struggling to put down roots.” — Jonathan Miles, author of Want Not

In over his head with two pigs, a dozen chickens, and a baby due any minute, the acclaimed author of Population: 485 gives us a humorous, heartfelt memoir of a new life in the country.

Living in a ramshackle Wisconsin farmhouse—faced with thirty-seven acres of fallen fences and overgrown fields, and informed by his pregnant wife that she intends to deliver their baby at home—Michael Perry plumbs his unorthodox childhood for clues to how to proceed as a farmer, a husband, and a father.

Whether he’s remembering his younger days—when his city-bred parents took in sixty or so foster children while running a sheep and dairy farm—or describing what it’s like to be bitten in the butt while wrestling a pig, Perry flourishes in his trademark humor. But he also writes from the quieter corners of his heart, chronicling experiences as joyful as the birth of his child and as devastating as the death of a dear friend.

Can a man who once got his tongue frozen to a hammer really make a go of it on thirty-seven acres of Wisconsin farmland?

New Life in the Country: From wrestling a hog to preparing for a home birth, Perry details his hilarious and often humbling attempts to put down roots on a ramshackle Wisconsin farm. Raising Chickens and Pigs: Follow the follies of a first-time farmer as he navigates the challenges of keeping livestock, including a dog bite to the rear and one very memorable beer-drinking sow. An Unorthodox Upbringing: Reflections on a chaotic but loving childhood, where his city-bred parents ran a sheep and dairy farm while caring for sixty or so foster children. Laugh-Out-Loud Humor: With the signature wit that made Michael Perry a beloved voice of the Midwest, this memoir is perfect for anyone who knows that sometimes the best-laid plans end up covered in mud.