Beth Hoffman

A Novel

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

A Southern novel of family and antiques from the bestselling author of the beloved "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt." Hoffman rekindles her flair for evocative Southern settings and the inimitable eccentrics in a compelling new novel.

Looking for Me

In her late 40s, Beth Hoffman decided to upend her comfortable life as a professor and journalist to move to her husband's family ranch in Iowa--all for the dream of becoming a farmer. There was just one problem: money. Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019, and many struggle just to stay afloat. Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth's eyes. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass finished beef is a nightmare. If Beth can't make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don't have other jobs to fall back on hack it? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.

The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America

Bet the Farm

Winner of the 2014 Ohioana Book Award for fiction. The latest New York Times bestseller by the beloved author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt Beth Hoffman’s bestselling debut, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettably quirky characters. Now her flair for evocative settings and richly drawn Southern personalities shines again in her compelling second novel, Looking for Me. Teddi Overman found her life’s passion in turning other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques. Leaving her hardscrabble Kentucky childhood behind, Teddi opens her own store in Charleston. She builds a life as unexpected and quirky as her many customers, but nothing alleviates the haunting uncertainty she’s felt since her brother Josh mysteriously disappeared. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi returns to Kentucky, embarking on a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and find herself.

Lezioni di volo per principianti

Over the past century, powerful food and beverage companies have enjoyed unprecedented commercial success. But these companies have grown prosperous while the millions who supply the land, labor and water need ed for their products face increased hardship. Now, a rapidly changing environment, affected communities and an increasingly savvy consumer base are pushing the industry to rethink 'business as usual'. In this report, Oxfam assesses the social and environmental policies of the world's ten largest food and beverage companies and calls on them to take the critical next steps to create a just food system.

Food justice and the 'Big 10' food and beverage companies

Behind the Brands

Relegated to the care of an eccentric great-aunt after her mentally unbalanced mother's accidental death, 12-year-old CeeCee is quickly surrounded by the strong women and cultural elements of her new Savannah community.

Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a successful career as a journalist and professor, a comfortable home in San Francisco, and plenty of close friends and family. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family ranch in Iowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everything she had learned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There was just one problem: money. Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019. Between rising land costs, ever-more expensive equipment, the growing uncertainty of the climate, and few options for health care, farming today is a risky business. For many, simply staying afloat is a constant struggle. Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth’s eyes as a beginning farmer. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass-finished beef is a nightmare. The couple also must balance the books, hoping that farming isn’t a romantic fantasy that takes every cent of their savings. Even with a decent nest egg and access to land, making ends meet at times seems impossible. And Beth knows full well that she is among the privileged. If Beth can’t make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don’t have other jobs to fall back on? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.

La bottega dei sogni smarriti

Eine Hymne auf die Freundschaft; ein Roman, der das Herz erwärmtEin sommerfrischer Südstaaten-Roman aus den USA: Nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter wird die zwölfjährige CeeCee Honeycutt von ihrer Großtante Tootie aufgenommen, die in Savannah, Georgia, ein wunderschönes Südstaatenhaus mit riesigem Garten bewohnt. Umsorgt von drei warmherzigen Frauen kann CeeCee ihre schwierige Kindheit in Ohio hinter sich lassen und blüht auf.Ohio 1967: Die zwölfjährige CeeCee hat es nicht leicht. Ihre Mutter lebt in Gedanken im Jahr 1951, als sie Zwiebelkönigin von Vidalia und glücklich war. Manchmal läuft sie tagsüber im Ballkleid durch die Straßen und wirft Vorüberfahrenden Kusshändchen zu. Als die Mutter eines Tages von einem Eiswagen erfasst wird und stirbt, schickt der völlig überforderte Vater CeeCee zu Tante Tootie nach Savannah, die sie mit offenen Armen aufnimmt.Dort, im liebevoll dekorierten Südstaatenhaus mit üppig duftendem Garten, blüht CeeCee allmählich auf. Zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben wird sie behütet. Neben ihrer Großtante kümmert sich die schwarze Köchin Oletta um sie und verwöhnt sie mit Zuckerpfirsichen, Zimtschnecken und Holundersaft. Als es zu einem rassistischen Überfall kommt, ist CeeCees neues Glück auf einmal in Gefahr. Doch die Frauen halten zusammen...Die Frauen von Savannah ist ein herzergreifender Roman, der das Leben feiert und von der Kraft der Freundschaft erzählt.

Beth Hoffman

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