The Woefield Poultry Collective

By: Susan Juby

Narrated by: Carter Hayden, Kate Griffin, Jennifer Walls, Michael Fletcher

Woefield Farm is a sprawling thirty acres of scrub land, complete with dilapidated buildings and one half-sheared, lonely sheep named Bertie. It’s “run” - in the loosest possible sense of the word - by Prudence Burns, an energetic, well-intentioned twenty-something New Yorker full of back-to- the-land ideals, but without an iota of related skills or experience. Prudence, who inherited the farm from her uncle, soon discovers that the bank is about to foreclose on Woefield Farm, which means that Prudence has to turn things around, fast. But fear not! She’ll be assisted by Earl, a spry seventy-something, banjo-playing foreman with a distrust of newfangled ideas and a substantial family secret; Seth, the alcoholic, celebrity-blogging boy-next-door, who hasn’t left the house since a scandal with his high-school drama teacher; and Sara Spratt, a highly organized eleven-year-old looking for a home for her prizewinning chickens, including one particularly randy fellow soon to be christened Alec Baldwin.

Full of offbeat charm and characters you won’t soon forget, The Woefield Poultry Collective is a heartwarming novel about learning how to take on a challenge, facing your fears, and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places. With alternating narratives, Susan Juby shows how a team of misfits can find acceptance and success, even with - and sometimes in spite of - their highly unorthodox approach.

©2011 Susan Juby (P)2011 HarperCollins Canada

Critic reviews

"In her sparklingly witty and charming first novel for adults, the author of the Alice MacLeod YA series delightfully combines satire and a distinctly modern voice with old-fashioned sweetness, and her laugh-out-loud writing is tempered by the characters' emotional pain and efforts to help one another heal. Woefield Farm may not produce a single crop, yet it's fertile ground for superb storytelling." ( Booklist)

"It's so difficult to have a (theoretically) morally superior protagonist doing good works, and have them be in any way likable. Susan Juby achieves this miraculous feat with her latest novel, The Woefield Poultry Collective .... The novel is genuinely funny and tremendously charming." (Sandra Kasturi, National Post)

"Susan Juby is a marvel. Wise, witty, and full of heart, her writing draws you in and won't let go. And just when you think it can't get any better, it does. I never wanted to leave Woefield, and you won't, either." (Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Insatiable)

More!

Any additional comments?

Loved this book. I hope the author does a sequel and they get all the same people to narrate the characters. Had me laughing out loud on several occasions and yet there are some serious issues being dealt with. If you can appreciate the absurd and some black humour, I think you'll enjoy the book.

Am now going to hunt down other books by this author but, truly, I hope we hear more about the Woefield Poultry Collective.

Beautifully cast, excellent narration

What did you like best about this story?

The dialogue, like Miriam Towes, Susan Juby is really good at the rolling story.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters come alive.

Warm-hearted fun

This was a delightful book from an author I wasn't familiar with. It is full of hilarious contemporary references and all the characters are deeply flawed, yet charming and lovable. It's one of the most enjoyable books I've read for awhile. I even forgave all the endless swearing from some of the characters, which I usually don't, because it fits so perfectly with who they are. The multiple narrators also works well, because it helps delineate each very clearly, which strengthens a character-driven book. I'd love to return to further adventures of Woefield Farm!

Wow!

I cannot say enough good things about The Woefield Poultry Collective! The story is original; the everyday problems unique to the characters' lives make them relatable. Best of all, it's hilarious! You will literally laugh out loud at the shenanigans taking place on this farm. I am very impressed by the narration as well...each character is narrated by a different person, not the same person just changing their voice. Because each character is telling their point of view of the story, combined with the individuality of the narrator's voice, the story flows effortlessly. Very Impressive!!

Entertaining read

Thoughly enjoy the story, writing and characters, however, it just stopped with no ending. The main character was not in the story for several chapters before it stopped. Unsatisfying ending.

gut wrenchingly funny

What made the experience of listening to The Woefield Poultry Collective the most enjoyable?

I was a little apprehensive at first when hearing Earl read the sample snippet but I am so glad I bought this book as I laughed and laughed and re-listened and recommended daily until finished.
You'll love this character and each of them by the second chapter and feel like you've known them forever at the end.... I am sure I will re-read this one (very rare of me). Great life lessons here too had a couple of sniffy (like weepy and nose wiping on your sleeve) moments too! The only trouble and why the overall wasn't 5 star was the end. The recording is messed up a middle chapter seems to be the last?!!!! Where is tech support I think I am missing the ending!

Who was your favorite character and why?

who could pick a favourite?

Any additional comments?

Susan Juby, you are a dolly for writing this story! thank you from the bottom of my heart. Identifying with each realistic character was fab!

Beautifully cast, excellent narration

What did you like best about this story?

The dialogue, like Miriam Towes, Susan Juby is really good at the rolling story.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

The characters come alive.

Mildly amusing, verbally crude.

Why only two stars? I listened with headphones because I could not play this story out loud for my staff. Actually, one of the young ladies who works for me tried it but found it inappropriate for group listening in a work environment so I wasn't alone in my assessment. Basically, there's more foul language than fowl language in this audiobook. The author has realistically created her characters but knowing people similar to these folks and hearing them in a story are two different experiences.

The story itself has amusing moments so, in between cringing at the four letter words I found myself smiling occasionally and laughing out loud once or twice. My favourite character was the little girl who owned the chickens. She had a wonderfully dryly humorous nature. She wasn't trying to be funny but the author expressed her gift for humour through this child.

I think the story could have been improved by sanitizing the wording a bit and perhaps giving the main character a true New York accent.