There is no shortage of struggle when you’re growing up on a farm. For Elisabeth Voltz and her large family, farm life meant early mornings, late nights and many hours in between spent tending to and caring for livestock and pets in rural Pennsylvania. The twist? This was no ordinary farm, but a hospice for the sick, dying, and undesirable animals in their local community. Wolf Creek Farm was the last hope for ill animals that had become a burden to their owners. Though, to Elisabeth and her family, it was much more. It was a place of love and compassion, filled with life lessons that shaped them all.
Review:
When I was first offered the chance to read and review Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek I was slightly hesitant. It was vastly different from my average read, and typically, I only read one to two nonfiction books a year. However, I was swayed by the beautiful cover as well as the raving reviews.
As it turns out, Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek by Elisabeth Voltz is the prime example of why you should occasionally step out of your preferred genres and take a chance on a book. I absolutely loved this book - it's actually become one of my favorites of 2017! Containing not only stunning prose but also beautiful, drool worthy illustrations, Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek is much more than the typical nonfiction read.
Shoebox Funeral is told in a series of what I would call short stories. Elisabeth Voltz discusses the wide variety of animals that graced her family's farm over the years. I particularly loved the stories about Elisabeth's cats. Her writing made it so easy for me to picture what was going on, to feel as if I was right there with her when she was nurturing Monet & Pancake, two her lovable & unique cats, or being annoyed with her brother's rat Iago. This book was so easy to get lost in - I stayed up far past by bedtime, telling myself just one more chapter, just one more chapter. The illustrations also added a lot to the story itself. They were simply stunning. I also enjoyed the addition of a photo album at the end. It was fun and interesting to see the people and animals Elisabeth talked about in the duration of the book up close. Surprisingly enough, everything looked just as I had imagined it to - Elisabeth is just that great of a writer!
I don't really know what else to say besides READ THIS BOOK. It's unique, so different from anything I've read before. I think that's what makes it so incredibly special. It's definitely earned a place on my permeant bookshelf.
When I was first offered the chance to read and review Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek I was slightly hesitant. It was vastly different from my average read, and typically, I only read one to two nonfiction books a year. However, I was swayed by the beautiful cover as well as the raving reviews.
As it turns out, Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek by Elisabeth Voltz is the prime example of why you should occasionally step out of your preferred genres and take a chance on a book. I absolutely loved this book - it's actually become one of my favorites of 2017! Containing not only stunning prose but also beautiful, drool worthy illustrations, Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek is much more than the typical nonfiction read.
Shoebox Funeral is told in a series of what I would call short stories. Elisabeth Voltz discusses the wide variety of animals that graced her family's farm over the years. I particularly loved the stories about Elisabeth's cats. Her writing made it so easy for me to picture what was going on, to feel as if I was right there with her when she was nurturing Monet & Pancake, two her lovable & unique cats, or being annoyed with her brother's rat Iago. This book was so easy to get lost in - I stayed up far past by bedtime, telling myself just one more chapter, just one more chapter. The illustrations also added a lot to the story itself. They were simply stunning. I also enjoyed the addition of a photo album at the end. It was fun and interesting to see the people and animals Elisabeth talked about in the duration of the book up close. Surprisingly enough, everything looked just as I had imagined it to - Elisabeth is just that great of a writer!
I don't really know what else to say besides READ THIS BOOK. It's unique, so different from anything I've read before. I think that's what makes it so incredibly special. It's definitely earned a place on my permeant bookshelf.
Grade: A+
Shoebox Funeral: Stories from Wolf Creek is now out!
Source: finished copy provided by publicist/Publisher - thanks Brianne & Animal Media Group!
Buy Links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Thanks to the Brianne & Animal Media Group, I also have the opportunity to share
illustrations from the book. My four favorites are included below:
Thanks to the Brianne & Animal Media Group, I also have the opportunity to share
illustrations from the book. My four favorites are included below:
This really sounds like a lovely book. I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing the illustrations :)
ReplyDeleteNo problem, Carole! :)
DeleteThis does sound like a nice book, and I like the illustration style of the pics you shared. And I love how the farm was a hospice for sick animals. I'll bet there's a lot of amazing stories in it.
ReplyDeleteThere really is, Greg! I went in not expecting much, but was really taken aback by how sweet and charming it was.
DeleteI don't normally read a lot of nonfiction either, but this does sound like a wonderful read. I love the illustrations too. Those are lovely.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you love the illustrations! They're even lovelier in person - trust me!
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