Another 5 star book! This one was so inspiring and actually my favorite of the 2 books he wrote. Such a thought provoking book. What a great testimony for the Lord. Life does go on but we never forget the memories. He is such a great author. Hopefully he’ll write some more books. ( )

“Once Upon a Farm”, an autobiographical book by Rory Feek, is a story about lessons learned and life lived. Feek is living his life for God and shares little snippets of that life with the reader. Feek is a well-known songwriter and musician who used to be one half of the country music duo “Joey and Rory”; the other half being his wife Joey who passed away in 2016.

I have seen a lot about Joey and Rory on social media, especially Joey’s battle with cancer. I thought this book would be about how Rory is dealing with her death and moving on. Instead, it’s more of a compilation of essays written by Rory about random topics involving his life and lessons he’s learned. It’s not in chronological order either. The book is interesting because I did learn more about his life. It did make me realize that life is short and I should live in the moment. I should not always wish for a better life but love the one I’m living. Rory Feek is a good writer and there are some great lessons in this book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves hearing the personal stories of famous individuals, or who loves country music and living, or is even just a fan of the couple!

Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating due to some issues discussed and some content. Some examples of the content are: Rory talks about his past life drinking and chasing women; there is some content that may be controversial in the Christian community; the word “hell” is used; references to sex; the Lord’s name is taken in vain.

Rating: I give this book 3 stars.

Genre: Christian non-fiction

I want to thank Rory Feek, BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255. ( )

Although ths can be read as a "stand alone", I feel my review would have been more complete if I had read the first book about his life before and after his second wife's appearance.

Once Upon a Farm, was a heartfelt story of country musician, Rory Feek's, courageous journey through life, after the dreadful loss of his beloved wife.

He reminisces of events past and present, and offers much wisdom he has gained.

I would like to expand on two separate comments he made.

#1 in a reference to "new information" he received from a daughter that devastated him he stated, "I'm not the judge.." ..."It's my job to love her."
I feel many of us could beneficent from this if we applied it to not only loved ones, but to others as well. For Christians, it would be well for us all to remember those are the words Jesus taught..

#2 When discussing his reading (or lack of) he stated he was "a non-fiction guy..." and liked to "read about real people and the lives they lived."
I felt this way for many of my adult years. I read both non-fiction and fiction (almost any book I could get my hands on) as a youth. Then I decided I needed "real knowledge" so pursued only non-fiction.

In my more "mature" years, I have made a new discovery. Fiction can not only stimulate one's imagination, but many authors do hours of research before writing a book. I have learned about the Amish lifestyle and the variations of Amish cultures and the difference between Amish and Mennonites, in a delightful way, through fiction!

I considered my knowledge of history was quite good until I read a few Historical Fiction stories, which brought out little known facts in history. I have realized by having a wider interest in most genres, I have enhanced my reading enjoyment.

Rory Feek, writes in a personable manor which enables the reader' to feel like he/she is being "spoken" to. There are many more valuable and interesting points of consideration he makes throughout his personal "journey".

The book Title and Cover are very well-chosen. ( )