The Reluctant Farmer is a literary memoir rooted in place, written over a decade of living and working on small farms in Canada.
It traces an unexpected journey from urban life to rural isolation, from partnership to independence, and from endurance to self-trust—told through daily farm work, animal husbandry, weather, landscape, and the long interior work of change.
The book may be of particular interest to reviewers, journalists, and interviewers drawn to:
- Place & rural life — the emotional and physical realities of farming, isolation, and belonging
- Women’s lives, aging & resilience — midlife change, autonomy, endurance, and reinvention
- Memoir as craft — voice, structure, memory, and the ethics of telling a shared story
- Personal transformation — gradual, lived change rather than sudden reinvention
The Reluctant Farmer will resonate with readers of Sharon Butala, Kathleen Norris, Gretel Ehrlich, and others who write at the intersection of land, interior life, and meaning.
Review & Interview Information
- Formats available: print and digital
- Review copies: available on request
- Interviews: in-person (where possible) or via phone/Zoom
- Topics include: rural women’s lives, farming and caretaking, writing memoir over time, partnership and independence, aging with agency
For review requests, interview enquiries, or media information, please contact:
cjwellner@gmail.com
I’m especially glad to hear from reviewers and interviewers with an interest in place-based writing, women’s lives, and literary memoir.
Author biography
Short Biography
Cathryn Wellner is an author, storyteller, and lifelong explorer of unexpected paths. Her work spans memoir, children’s literature, and collections of true stories that explore resilience, community, and the quiet courage of everyday life. She is the author of Hope Wins, Feisty Aging, Millie’s Feathered Foster Family, and The Reluctant Farmer. Born in the United States, she lived for many years in British Columbia before relocating to Australia, where she continues to write.
Extended Biography
Cathryn Wellner is an author and storyteller whose work explores what happens when life takes an unexpected turn. Her writing spans memoir, children’s literature, and collections of true stories, with a particular focus on resilience, community, and the quiet courage found in everyday lives.
She is the author of The Reluctant Farmer, a memoir that traces her unplanned journey from city life to rural farming, as well as Hope Wins, Feisty Aging, and Millie’s Feathered Foster Family. Across genres, her work reflects a deep interest in how people adapt, endure, and find meaning in places they never expected to call home.
Born in the United States, Wellner spent many years in British Columbia, Canada, where her experiences living in remote and rural communities profoundly shaped her writing. She now lives in Australia, continuing to write stories rooted in lived experience, connection to place, and the belief that even reluctant journeys can change a life.
About the Book
The Reluctant Farmer is a memoir about an unplanned decade spent farming in rural Canada after a lifetime of city living. What begins as a tentative experiment in a new way of life unfolds into years of learning, hard physical work, and unexpected belonging.
Set in British Columbia, the book traces a journey marked by humour, missteps, and moments of deep connection—to land, animals, and community. The Reluctant Farmer is less a story of mastery than of attention: learning to listen, to adapt, and to stay present when certainty is in short supply.
Written with warmth and candour, the memoir reflects on resilience, partnership, and the ways a place can quietly reshape a life. It will appeal to readers drawn to stories of rural living, personal transformation, and the courage it takes to say yes to a life you never planned.
Author Photos
Author photo 1 (JPG, 300 dpi
Author photo 2 (JPG, 300 dpi)
Downloads
Biographies
Book cover
- Book cover (JPG, web-ready)
- Book cover (JPG, print-ready, 300 dpi) (optional if you have it)
Author photos
- Author photo 1 (JPG, 300 dpi)
- Author photo 2 (JPG, 300 dpi)
Images open in a new window and can be downloaded by right-clicking or dragging.
If you need additional materials or alternative formats, please get in touch.
Press & Review Enquiries
Cathryn Wellner, cjwellner@gmail.com
Australia