Staff Review: Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled by Shannon Hayes

If you're looking for a quick, uplifting read with a little more substance than your usual summer flicks, I have a recommendation for you! Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled is a heartwarming and thought-provoking collection of essays from self-proclaimed radical homemaker Shannon Hayes. I was particularly enthused to read this new publication of hers after finishing Radical Homemakers, Hayes' thesis in which she explores the lives of communities and individuals living and thriving on extremely low incomes. Hayes and her family follow this lifestyle as well: they grow and produce as much of their own food as they can, they give homemade gifts, use home remedies for most of their healthcare, and play their own music for entertainment.

Hayes shies away from nothing in Homespun Mom, covering topics ranging from neighborhood drama, to trying to make a living at farmers market every Saturday, to sex education for her home-schooled daughters. While these subjects may seem mundane or irrelevant in our fast-paced world, Hayes' humor and poignancy leave readers with no doubt that the struggles she faces every day are ones we can all relate to. Her family's dedication to living simply is a breath of fresh air in our culture so overwhelmed with flashy technologies that seem to change every time we blink.

Their lives are not, however, boring in the least. The stories Hayes tells are of a raucous, joyful, and complex young family who work hard to juggle the projects they've taken on, and whose lives are filled with love, meaning and adventure. Their everyday routines may indeed be radical to many readers, but Hayes has me convinced that a home made in this way is the most vibrant and fulfilling home possible.

~Rachel, Circulation