Mary Pols

Mary Pols picks Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter

Carpenter's memoir is about living off the land, but with a twist: her "farm" is an abandoned lot in one of the scuzzier neighborhoods in Oakland, Calif. She obsesses over watermelon seedlings, duck- slaying and Dumpster-diving (to feed her pigs) but never loses sight of the junkie shooting up across the street. Carpenter is deft, compassionate and funny. You'll miss her as soon as you turn that last page.

• 
• Click to Print

• Find this article at:
• https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1908352_1908228_1908221,00.html