Glad Farm

A Memoir

By: Catherine Marenghi

Narrated by: Catherine Marenghi

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Raised in a primitive one-room farmhouse with no indoor plumbing, the fourth of five children, Catherine Marenghi begins her life in poverty and isolation. She leaves home at the age of 17. A decade later, she is a successful journalist with the means to buy her family their first decent house. But the past will not be put to rest so easily. Catherine unravels a web of long-buried family secrets, and a terrible betrayal that robbed her family of the home that was rightfully theirs. And she finally uncovers the story her parents never shared: the gladiolus farm that was once their dream. At once lyrical and raw, unflinching in its detail, Glad Farm is an iconic American story of renewal and reinvention, and the mythic power of a house to define our destiny.

©2016 Catherine Marenghi (P)2016 Catherine Marenghi

A beautiful story of a real family!

Loved all of it! Went to visit the home site in Milford. So much history.

A totally engaging experience.

Here is a story of hope and insight written in a style resembling a poem more than standard narrative. Every word is interesting. It reinforces my long held confidence in the influence of those structures that we call our houses.

Enjoyed but kind of flat on the emotion level

Interesting memoir and worth the read but strangely lacking in emotion. And the author had a bad habit of dropping bombshells. No spoilers but here's a made up example: It was like reading about a married couple and 75% of the way through, the woman divulges that she's not married to the guy--he's married to someone else and has a family with his wife.

So this was a "Where was the editor" kind of read.

Still, solid writing, I was never bored, and the book held my attention the whole way through. These days, that's worth a lot.

Well written

The author weaves a beautiful memoir of a family with depth of each character! No one but Ms Marenghi could have done this reading justice! I absolutely love this book!

Life Met With Grace

What was one of the most memorable moments of Glad Farm?

The author's memories of her baby brother. He came at such a time when she needed someone to show her unconditional love in the way that she needed.

What about Catherine Marenghi’s performance did you like?

The lilt of her voice, and her accent. So gentle and pleasing to the ear. No matter what story she told, I didn't get anxious as I do in other books.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Catherine's telling of her brother. Without doing a spoiler alert, I heard her pain. I think it may have been as fresh as it was in yesteryear. My heart and my eyes were full to bursting. I think about it days later and I still get misty.

Any additional comments?

It's impossible to listen to this book without learning that we can face some hard truths and come out with some great pain, but it doesn't give us an excuse to give in or give up. So many extreme hardships and broken hearts happened to Catherine's family-yet she persevered. They all learned to do the best they could with what they had...what they knew..what they felt capable of accomplishing.
I feel like the missing out on the big house was really unfortunate, and on the other hand, I feel like the Glad Farm couldn't have happened-which was the dream in the beginning of her parents marriage. Lots of 'could've would've shouldve' but I somehow don't think the house itself would have changed the course of their lives. Life would have just happened in a different house.

Touching personal story

I just loved this book. A personal story of how life prevails despite highs and lows. I laughed, smiled, gasped and cried. A true testament to the authentic story and carefully chosen words written here for all of us to hear/read.

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poignant story, written with honor toward family and reality of our growth, sacrifice, and silent influences on each other...our love and effort

Thank you for sharing!

I very much enjoyed this little piece of history and the insights into the authors life. Very well written and the audiobook with the narrator’s voice and incredible! This books helps one ponder the power of family and the human connection.

Reading book as I’m in Milford visiting

So many interesting events inn”our” lives. My grandfather worked at Drapers for over 25 years and my parents until 1952. Did they know your Dad? Visiting my grandparents at Sacred Heart cemetery, and leaving through the back gate, near their play, I’m on Prairie Street. Possible your Dad knew them? Your Aunt Catherine about the same age as my mom who lived in Milford/Hopedale, wonder if she knew her. Your baby brother died at the hospital I was born in. Your brother Jerry and Aunt Lizzie worked at Milford Shoe Co. All my Daniels uncles worked there for decades. Did they know each other? And finally chapter 34, your mother was at Sunbridge….the cousin I stayed with this week worked there at that time.
The crossing of all these paths took reading your book to a whole new level. Having you narrate it was brilliant.

Poverty to Blessings

You will need a big box of tissues to get through this book. The story will make you furious, happy & sad with moments of outright bellowed laughter. It's a story of skeletons in family closets, of deceit, of love and forgiveness.