The Kindred Life: Stories and Recipes to Cultivate a Life of Organic Connection

Bailey, co-owner of Kindred Farm in Santa Fe, Tenn., debuts with an earnest if dewy-eyed reflection on the joys of “cultivat[ing] a rich, nourishing life of organic connection.” While her story of healing and growth culminated in the sustainable farm she and her husband began building in 2017, Bailey asserts that a life of connection doesn’t have to come from “where you live but how.” She urges readers to nurture relationships—with people and the land—which, she claims, often fall by the wayside due to life’s busy demands, and includes perfunctory questions to help one examine and overcome challenges regarding voice, fear of risk, and finding unity (“who are some women... who have inspired you?”). Along the way, she shares how she found the strength to work through her own struggles and become “more deeply rooted in my God-given self”—from mustering the courage in 2005 to embark on a “solo voyage to India” in her 20s to leaving behind her urban garden in Dallas for greener pastures in Tennessee. Though Bailey throws a few tasty recipes into the mix, it’s unfortunately not enough to balance the bland aftertaste much of her advice—“rise up to challenges and say yes to lives of risk and change”—leaves behind. It’s heartening, but it’s not groundbreaking. (Apr.)