Daffodil Hill

Uprooting My Life, Buying a Farm, and Learning to Bloom

By: Jake Keiser

Narrated by: Jake Keiser

A candid and heartwarming memoir of reinvention about a city girl who trades her career and her heels for five acres and a herd of goats

“Jake Keiser is my favorite kind of woman—gutsy, tenacious, and not afraid to be vulnerable. And the animals are pretty f*cking adorable, too.”—Tara Schuster, author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies

Jake Keiser was living the life in Tampa, Florida, running a high-powered PR firm and juggling drink dates, shopping sprees, and charity galas. But at age thirty-eight, following a failed marriage, a series of miscarriages, and a still-blistering breakup, she began to suffer from extreme anxiety. Hit with the realization that no amount of Botox could fill the hole in her heart, she decided to make the impulse purchase of a lifetime and bought a farm in the middle of nowhere, Mississippi.

Suddenly responsible for more than seventy-five animals and five acres of land, and with only one bar of cell service, Jake begins her search for inner peace. She learns to fix a well, haul wood, shoot a gun, and care for baby chicks, goats, turkeys, geese, dogs, and a cat, playing spa music for them when they’re sick and naming them after her favorite fashion designers. The only problem is that she still can’t figure out how to truly care for herself. Unable to escape the accumulated pain of her past, Jake hits rock bottom. With nowhere left to run, she’s finally forced to confront a bracing reality: The farm won’t save her. Only she can save herself.

Poignant, hilarious, and utterly charming, Daffodil Hill is for anyone who feels stuck—for those of us strapped to our desks and dreaming of an unconventional life, for those of us searching for something more. Most of all, it is for people who believe that the greatest love story of all is the one we write with ourselves.

©2022 Jake Keiser (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Jake Keiser is my favorite kind of woman—gutsy, tenacious, and not afraid to be vulnerable. Daffodil Hill is a real, raw story of heartbreak and loss, and the bravery it takes to leave your comfort zone and go after what your truest self desires, to build an authentic, beautiful life. This is a fun, frank, powerful story about freedom. And the animals are pretty f*cking adorable, too.”—Tara Schuster, author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies

“Daffodil Hill offers a delightful escape into the wonderfully colorful farm life of Jake Keiser. This unlikely story delivers all the feels, but beware! Keiser makes you want to buy a Prada bag just to let a baby chick sleep in it. While showcasing that special kind of laugh-out-loud crazy that only a Gucci-wearing farm girl could brew, Keiser casts a lovely light on her Mississippi community and explores the perils of a middle-aged single woman trying to break free of all that has kept her caged for too long. A must-read!”—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials

For anyone who knows someone struggling to find happiness and purpose

Jake Keiser, just like the rest of us wanted to be liked and admired for having the best of everything; a family, car, bags, shoes, and story. As a PR and marketing powerhouse she was responsible for creating great stories for her clients, so it made sense that she drove her own story so hard. She was zooming to the top at a record pace, life boxes checked one after the other.

But inside, Jake suffered from the agony of being preyed on by the evil of a child molester, the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages and the littered past of failed relationships. From these traumas developed an unshakable anxiety that she could no longer keep down. It’s weight had become too great. She had to make a change.

Reluctantly trusting her intuition and the universe, she quietly moved to 5 acres in rural Mississippi and put herself to work. On herself. Attacking challenge after challenge and gaining confidence does wonders for a soul. Her untapped instincts to nurture life revealed themselves with time and her dream of owning a beautiful farm full of life and love became reality. She had lost herself in the heartless hustle of the city, but with determination and grit she bloomed into who she was always meant to be; a self reliant queen focused on the things that fueled her happiness; connections, independence and dreams.

A funny, heartbreaking, beautifully written memoir overflowing with love, triumph and tragedy, Jake Keiser’s Daffodil Hill gives one woman’s struggle to find her true purpose in today’s full throttle culture.

Just WOW!

This book is intelligently written…funny and often times sad with an amazing message of following your dreams. I will be recommending this to everyone I know. It’s a must read.

Strong start, good perspective

The end felt disjointed compared to the rest of the story. The book honestly felt unfinished.

Loved so much!

This book was so much more than i expected. I laughed out loud with Jake’s transformation from city girl to farm owner. I fell in love with each and every animal and learned things about them that I didn’t know before. I was saddened by the traumas and pain Jake faced. This book is real life delivered in a down to earth manner. I highly recommend!!

Put this one next on your list

This is the book you should read next. Inspiring story of personal gain, perseverance, independence, gratification, and finding value and joy in the midst of chaos and sadness. Very well written. You’ll laugh, cry, and laugh again. To me, the sign of a good book is thinking of all the people you want to share it with as you read through it. For this one, have your notepad and pen at the ready.

Definitely Add to Your Summer Reading List

This is one of those books that you should add to your summer reading list. The author opens her life to world for all of us to see. Her story is a refreshing view of a person who has been through a lot that would have broken most people. She tells a story of strength and courage. It also give us all hope to find our version of a farm. I am so proud of to say that I went to high school with her and shared a couple of Spanish classes with her. She is definitely a true badass in this world. Plus I love her dog names since it reminds me a great restaurant here in Hawaii.

Insiteful look at what’s important

Truly enjoyed this story about love, loss, living your best life and how to be successful doing what you love not what society says makes you a success. Jake writes with color and clear images so you feel like your right there on her farm, getting to know all her animals. She draws you in to enjoy her world and makes you want to go visit her! I’m rooting for her future, her happiness and that she finds love! Maybe a part 2?? That would be great!!

The joy of animals.

Good story, about a girl who leaves town for farming life and learns lots of life lessons.