Flat Broke with Two Goats

It was far too frustrating to read about the main character's lack of financial responsibilities and the way they slowly lost their home.

Did not finish

I don't know why I selected this book. When I began reading, I thought it was going to try to make me feel sad for the main character. Yet the author kept noting how some of her struggles were her own fault. But I liked how real she kept it all. I feel there are probably others in similar situations who have similar stories. It was a little all over the place at first, which is why I didn't give it five stars. But it made me cry, made me laugh, made me think and I learned some things also. Good book.

Living near the area this book takes place added to my enjoyment. I don't anticipate living a life like this, but I liked hearing about it. And I liked hearing that you can survive.

I started listening to this on audio and could not take the narrator's voice so I switched to print and it was better, but I don't think Jennifier McGaha and I could ever be friends in real life. She does some stuff in this story that made no sense to me. That's forgivable. We don't need to be friends. What had to happen for me to not hate this book was for her to realize that she was being a bit of a brat, a super snob, and that her rock-bottom was better than millions of other people's everyday lives. Finally, I got some redemption in one of the final chapters. Also, she mentions a grandfather and states that she does not have his grit or determination. Bingo. Maybe she does now, but she sure did not in the timeline of this story.
Overall I'm ticked that this was the National Library Week Big Read. NOT ONCE does this woman mention going to the library to do anything to help her situation. How about borrowing Goats for Dummies or hey, Total Money Makeover? And, unlike other reviewers, I didn't care that she drank craft beer or spent all this time and money raising goats in order to eat gourmet cheese and make fancy soap. What I wanted to see was hope and growth and I'm not sure it's there.
I sure hope the sale of this book helped her out financially. I mean, I didn't buy it, I got my copy from the LIBRARY. But, hey.

Review posted on biglibraryread.com for the #biglibraryread in April 2018:

I enjoyed this memoir and admire the author for her honesty. I raised an eyebrow at many of the decisions she and her husband made and often found myself talking back to the audiobook at certain points. (“Oh no, how could you think that was a good idea?”) Ultimately, I felt the author avoided much of the temptation to pass the blame for their circumstances, though at times it definitely felt like she washed her hands of it. My opinion of the author changed throughout the book because initially I did not like her. In the end, I decided to cease judging and start simply listening. I grew attached to their small farm menagerie and was truly saddened by the health issues faced by one of their bucks. Unlike other reviewers, I occasionally thought the parts about her ancestors felt out of place, particularly at the very end. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy memoirs as it's one of the best I've read.

Also, the audiobook narrator is awesome