Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting

by: Michael Perry

Published by: Harper Collins

Reviewed by Claire Vath

In 2006, Michael Perry captivated us with Truck: A Love Story. In 2009, the author once again engages us with his measured storytelling in Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting.

Perry, who himself was reared on a farm with an indeterminate number of foster siblings, takes over his in-laws’ farm with expectant wife, Anneliese, and young stepdaughter Amy.

In Coop, Perry readily embraces the no-frills day-to-day tasks of farm life—to varying degrees of success. There’s the pig project on their Wisconsin farm: Perry and 6-year-old Amy learn the finer points of putting up fencing for the swine; and both get an education on the culinary habits of the animals—stale cinnamon rolls are a hit, especially when mixed with goat’s milk. Additionally, Perry and his family learn the habits of the poultry they acquire.

If you’re looking for a grandiose story filled with twists and plots, that’s not Michael Perry. His strengths lie in his ability to weave a soul-digging story out of the mundane day-to-day tasks.

Perry’s even-keeled observations of his surroundings, his family and daily chores are at once fascinatingly tender yet simple. While there’s often humor in that simplicity (when he went to pick up his pigs, a dog sunk its teeth into his rear end), there are also moments of quiet sadness, when Perry recounts the loss of a friend and several family members.

But life goes on, and being on the farm is a constant reminder of that life—from the rabbits that frolic in packs on Perry’s acreages, to the hungry swine and a chicken that doesn’t quite walk right. Perry and his wife use their farm life as a life lesson opportunities for Amy, who drinks nettle tea alongside her mother and watches with curiosity as the pigs are slaughtered.

Coop is another chance for the reader to glimpse Perry’s background and how it’s shaped the way he and Anneliese raise Amy and their infant daughter, Jane. Coop is a stunningly moving and working portrait.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Author’s Web site: http://www.SneezingCow.com