COOP: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting

Full disclosure: I grew up in the suburbs and spend a lot of time in the city so all I know about pigs and chickens is bacon and eggs on my breakfast plate. That didn't reduce by one iota my enjoyment of this book. Michael Perry is one of those rare wordsmiths who could make a book about anything enjoyable and emminently readable. I've read four of his books now and I've always been thoroughly entertained - and enlightened. Two literary references come to mind. First, E. B. White. White was such a great stylist with language. He wrote an essay on the death of a pig that was so beautifully written, it was almost sublime. I think Michael Perry acheives that level in his writing. Second, a line in "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. A character - Emily - asks if any human beings realize life as they live it, every minute. The narrator answers "a few saints and poets." Most don't. I doubt seriously Perry is a saint - and he would probably be the first one to tell you that. But he's definitely a poet. He has that sensibility. He writes about things so much a part of our lives that many of us take for granted. Reading him makes me slow down and pay attention. He also has a great sense of humor. I highly recommend Perry's books to anyone who appreciates good writing by someone who has something interesting to say.

As with all of Mr. Perry's books I have to say I love it love it love it. I enjoyed this book especially because at the time I received it I'd just had a baby and we have chickens so it paralleled my life in some ways. Mike Perry has such a wonderful smooth writing style. It's always a real joy to read his work. I liked to hear his thoughts and feelings about his wife's pregnancy and also about his child. His thoughts about family moved me to tears and not just because of the leftover pregnancy hormones. I was also impressed by the fact that he was even able to write while sleep deprived with an infant. My only gripe about Mike Perry's books is that I am sad when they end and am left wanting more.

Michael Perry has knocked the bar up another notch with Coop. His last book Truck (A Love Story) was fantastic, but Coop eclipses Truck with more heart felt moments, and laugh out loud humor. Rarely have I found an author who writes with such verve that paragraphs about pig pen building, and chicken coop construction become literature. If you begin reading Coop, be prepared to put aside everything else for a few days. It is a compelling read. As I wander into Perry's Northern Wisconsin world, I find myself drawn to care about his family, farm, and friends. Perry's writing is not only captivating, but also beautiful, even lyrical at times. He writes sentences that resonate with poetic meaning. Sometimes he is hilarious, and sometimes poignant, but always he is genuine. I guarentee tears in your eyes from laughing and crying with Perry as you read Coop.

Coop is a pretty chaotic memoir, at times, but I also found it to be warm, sometimes heartbreaking and educational. There are few books that have given me so much, without being some sort of self-help guide. I came away with a new appreciation for the small stuff in life, a new found reverence for my loved ones, more respect for animals and nature and a deeper understanding of the importance of being a good father. Oh, and Coop made me laugh a lot, as well!

Coop is one of the best books (and certainly the best memoir) I have read in many years, a perfect book for our difficult times. With humor and grace, Perry takes the reader along for a year of great changes, some positive and some devastating (I will spare the details so as not to ruin the reading experience), showing the reader that there is profundity and beauty in even the most mundane experiences of daily life. I found myself laughing and crying while reading this book, many times on the same page. In the end, what Perry achieves is not only a book about gratitude and reverence for the wonderful people and things we have in our lives, but also a pitch-perfect memoir for men and especially fathers and sons (not to say women and mothers won't love the book as well, because they will, given its universal message). This is a book that will inspire you to take stock of your life and make it a little better each day (while laughing along the way!), and if there is any justice in the publishing world, a book that will be recognized when various "best of" lists are compiled.