New York Times Bestseller The beloved actress and star of One Tree Hill, White Collar, and Lethal Weapon, Hilarie Burton Morgan, tells the story of leaving Hollywood for a radically different kind of life in upstate New York with her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan—a celebration of community, family, and the value of hard work in small town America.While Hilarie Burton Morgan’s hectic lifestyle as an … town America.
While Hilarie Burton Morgan’s hectic lifestyle as an actress in New York and Los Angeles gave her a comfortable life, it did not fulfill her spiritually or emotionally. After the birth of their first son, she and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the star of The Walking Dead, decided to make a major change: they bought a working farm in Rhinebeck, New York, and began a new chapter in their lives.
The Rural Diaries chronicles her inspiring story of farm life: chopping wood, making dandelion wine, building chicken coops. Burton looks back at her transition from urban to country living—discovering how to manage a farm while raising her son and making friends with her new neighbors. She mixes charming stories of learning to raise alpacas and buying and revitalizing the town’s beloved candy store, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, with raw observations on the ups and downs of marriage and her struggles with secondary infertility. Burton also includes delicious recipes that can be made with fresh ingredients at home, as well as home renovation and gardening tips.
Burton’s charisma, wide eyed attitude, and fortitude—both internal and physical—propels this moving story of transformation and self-discovery. The Rural Diaries honors the values and lifestyle of small-town America and offers inspiration for anyone longing to embark on their own unconventional journey.
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I purely picked this book on Netgalley because I loved watching Hilarie on One Tree Hill. I knew a little about her life on the farm from Instagram but was blown away by how down to earth she really is. I wish I had half the talent in renovating and gardening as she does. I admire her grit and determination to be the best mom, wife, friend she can be.
I applaud her for how she tackled her #metoo story in the book and how she has not let that overshadow her life. Instead, she gathered all her strength and courage and made her life what she wanted.
Anyone who reads this fast-paced memoir will learn something about themselves or how to face a difficult situation.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, HarperCollins, through Netgalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
I know that Hilarie Burton Morgan didn’t write this book specifically for me personally but it spoke to my soul so much that it almost felt like she did. Only ever knowing Hilarie from watching her on One Tree Hill, MTV, and the holiday movies I love so much I knew reading her book Rural Diaries was going to be a treat. What I didn’t expect was that her story would stir up so many emotions within myself. Reading this book felt like sitting down and chatting with an old friend. She is fierce, filled with gumption, and bares her soul within these pages. This women is an absolute wordsmith, there are so many quotes and phrases I want to forever remember. Life isn’t always perfect and Hilarie doesn’t side step opening up about her struggles. There was no in between for me, if I wasn’t smiling or laughing listening to her talk about her beautiful family and their life on the farm I was sobbing because I could feel her pain. I feel very confident in saying this was one of the best memoirs I have ever read. I love that Hilarie believes whole heartedly in signs and even refers to herself as a witchy women. I cannot wait to try all the recipes that this book is filled with. I have already added Ray Bradbury’s book Dandelion Wine to my must read soon list. Most of all this book truly was a beautiful love letter to a town, a farm, and a man but I also felt like it is a push to anyone reading it to just try. Whether your dream is to reinvent yourself on a farm or something totally different, push yourself to build that life and go after your dream.
This insightful and humorous look at life will make you laugh, cry, and want to run off to the farm. Morgan’s honesty about the ups and downs of life gives hope to the rest of us. We’re all on a journey. Let hers strengthen you for your own.
*5 Stars*
I used to watch One Tree Hill back in the day, and it’s still a show that is so easy to go back to and rewatch, so of course I knew Hilarie Burton from that. Then I became a fan of The Walking Dead, and also only a couple of years ago, I finally got around to watching Supernatural, and those two shows introduced me to Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Because I like both of these actors, I discovered they were together and I enjoy following their posts on social media.
When I saw that Hilarie was releasing this book, I was really intrigued. I finally ordered a copy to be sent here to me Down Under in Australia, and while it sat on my shelf for a while, I did now finally get a chance to pick it up and read it.
This book was so much more than I expected. It didn’t have your typical biography type feel to it. It read really well, giving me more of the feelings of when I read a fictional novel, yet this was real, and giving me an insight into the life of Hilarie Burton. I learnt things about her I didn’t know, and things that touched me. I really liked the way she wrote this book, and I enjoyed going on this journey.
I love how she seems to be this wonderful down to earth and normal person (and yeah, I guess most actors are, but because we only see them in the spotlight, we forget about their normal human side, thats just like the rest of us), and I enjoyed how she shared and spoke about the highs and lows of life.
I was emotional in parts of this book, and I devoured it in less than 24 hours. I would love to read more from her in the future, and I highly recommend reading this if you’re a fan of Hilarie’s. This was such an insight and a wonderful book to read, even though not all the subjects were the easiest.
Highly recommend.
This book was everything I needed to fill my soul! I’m a dream chaser and I finished this book so unbelievably inspired to never stop.
I must say I really hardly ever read a memoir by an actor, but this one seemed like it would be different, and it was.
Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, both working actors, met through some good friends, and once they discovered their like minded goals for life, became inseparable.
Both had a family background in some type of farming and it was always a goal to make that dream come true. They were both looking for a place and town where they could feel a part of a community, something they hadn’t found in Los Angeles or New York City where their job required them to live.
Their dream was a farm, to grow vegetables, have animals and a place where a future family would thrive.
This story took them to Rhinebeck, NY and the surrounding area where they first bought a small cabin with some land and immersed themselves into the community, later they found a bigger piece of property nearby, where they were really able to realize their dreams, and named it, Mischief Farm.
It was fun to see how how every minute outside of their work schedules, they invested in their place, not always an easy task, especially after they had their son.
The book takes us through all of their ups and downs, and shows us how resilient they could be, as both were very handy.
I loved, their love of the community and how the community welcomed them, together making things happen.
Great read, highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of this book.
Such a honest, heartfelt book from Hilarie Burton Morgan. Loved reading about her beginning with Jeffery (If ever there was a man to give up Paris for), to her finding a better sense of herself, to her finding that community that her family just clicks with, and to her finding her version of happy. Plus, it was so great to get those gardening/farming tips and recipes that work for her; the book is a good blend of life on the farm and personal soul. She goes into the trials and struggles she’s dealt with, but you can’t help but feel the strength and hope she has. This woman is so hardworking and generous. I’ve seen some about their family and farm on social media, so when I saw Hilarie was writing a book about Mischief Farm, I was excited to check it out. Learning more about Hilarie and Jeffery in this book just went to verify my opinion of what kind hearted people they are. Such a touching read.
Typically, I steer clear of anything that resembles a biography. I feel like we are on overload as a nation with the ins and outs of celebrity life. Hilarie Burton has always held a soft spot in my heart. Was it because of my love for One Tree Hill? Nope…..this book landed on my radar because I knew that Hilarie was a fellow Virginian. Regardless of the fame and fortune, Hilarie was a southern girl at heart.
What about this would draw me to a book about farming and dandelion wine? Well….that’s easy. If you have ever seen any of Hilarie’s social media posts, you know that she believes in promoting small business and seems to enjoy the farm life. That is the connection for me. A commonality that always makes me look twice when Hilarie shares a little glimpse of life on the farm, smiles from Jefferey Dean Morgan, or the sweet smiles of raising your children away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
First let me say – I dove into the Rural Diaries like someone starving for water. This wasn’t your typical celebrity tale. Hilarie shares the way that she felt unfulfilled in the life that she had planned out for herself. It is raw, honest, and I recognized a kindred spirit that was easy to connect with. How many of us really struggle to find fulfillment in life? My own life has been a parallel of wanting ‘more’ but not sure where to seek that fulfillment.
The honesty of this book is also refreshing. Burton lays out the trials and tribulations of raising children, feeling disconnected, and the strains of marriage. Life isn’t easy, and Burton managed to put that ‘realness’ in her story in a way that kept me glued to the pages. Readers follow Burton’s journey to find life in rural America while filling the empty place in her soul. The vulnerability, truthfulness, and love that is written on the pages was inspiring and easy to connect to. Mischief Farm played a huge part in the Burton-Morgan family’s life, and it was inspiring to be a part of the journey on the road to happiness.
Rural Diaries earned 5 stars easily. It is by far the most inspiring and uplifting book that I have read in 2020!! A truly remarkable journey through motherhood, friendships, farm life, and searching for the life that feeds your soul. Simply put……I loved everything that transpired on the journey to Mischief Farm!!