A Field of My Own

<p>Pull on your boots and take a walk with Cynthia McVay and her dogs-consummate hosts and guides in a riveting landscape rife with adventure and discovery. In <em>A Field of My Own: A Memoir of Place</em> lifelong creative and environmentalist McVay chronicles her intimate two-decade relationship with a flagging orchard in the Hudson Valley. As a single working mother seeking a weekend escape from New York City one blustery winter day she falls in love with a meadow and her life is forever altered. She renovates the modest cottage builds a pondish-pool creates pollinating native gardens from orphans and strays learns to forage and runs the tractor. A decade in as architect and general contractor she moves an enormous hand-hewn Amish barn to the property to make her sustainable home. Snarky contractors an alcoholic partner puzzling neighbors concerning caretakers black rat snakes and coyote chases are minor setbacks; each day brings joy and serenity. This generous honest and engaging memoir is packed with useful know-how. McVay's writing is vibrant and her photos evocative. </p>