The Kindred Life
Stories and Recipes to Cultivate a Life of Organic Connection
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Even though technology makes us more “connected” than ever, we still hunger for authentic relationships—with the natural world, our creator, and one another. But how do we find them, especially when we’ve lost touch with many of the foundational rhythms that draw us together?
The Kindred Life is a rallying cry for real connection in a time when we need to recapture what’s been lost. In this collection of stories, photos, and recipes from her home on Kindred Farm in Santa Fe, Tennessee, sustainable farmer Christine Bailey shares both the beautiful and gritty moments as she grew from a hopeful urban gardener to co-owner of a farm full of produce, bees, chickens, and flowers that provides meaningful experiences for friends, family, and hundreds of guests each year.
Kindred means “tribe” or “family,” and at the center of The Kindred Life is an invitation to pursue the experiences that unite us, like spending time in the dirt, slowing down, and joining in a simple meal under the stars. We were all created with the ability to carve out a life of connection, and it’s worth every bit of sweat it takes to get there. We can slow down. We can step forward in bravery to do hard things well. And we can be intentional about gathering with and investing in others.
Discover the beauty of community, the magic of coming together around the table, and the lessons the land can teach you as you unearth your very own Kindred Life—right where you are.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bailey, co-owner of Kindred Farm in Santa Fe, Tenn., debuts with an earnest if dewy-eyed reflection on the joys of "cultivat a rich, nourishing life of organic connection." While her story of healing and growth culminated in the sustainable farm she and her husband began building in 2017, Bailey asserts that a life of connection doesn't have to come from "where you live but how." She urges readers to nurture relationships—with people and the land—which, she claims, often fall by the wayside due to life's busy demands, and includes perfunctory questions to help one examine and overcome challenges regarding voice, fear of risk, and finding unity ("who are some women... who have inspired you?"). Along the way, she shares how she found the strength to work through her own struggles and become "more deeply rooted in my God-given self"—from mustering the courage in 2005 to embark on a "solo voyage to India" in her 20s to leaving behind her urban garden in Dallas for greener pastures in Tennessee. Though Bailey throws a few tasty recipes into the mix, it's unfortunately not enough to balance the bland aftertaste much of her advice—"rise up to challenges and say yes to lives of risk and change"—leaves behind. It's heartening, but it's not groundbreaking.