March 2005    

Cottage for Sale: Must Be Moved Author: Kate Whouley Publisher: Commonwealth Editions ISBN: 1889833746 B&T         YBP Reviewed by Marcia Amidon Lüsted, Statusing I love to read about other people remodeling their houses, much more than I like to do it myself, and Kate Whouley's book is an excellent read for armchair do-it-yourselfers like me. She begins the book as the owner of a very small house on Cape Cod, which she loves dearly but is finding to be very cramped. After reading a classified ad listing several former summer tourist cottages for sale, which must be moved to make way for a new development, she decides that one of these cottages would make the perfect addition to her house, and thus begins a long odyssey to make it so. As with any home improvement project, it is not an easy path, beginning with the quest to get the necessary approvals and permits from the town, through financing, finding workmen, and hiring a house mover. After the excitement of the actual house moving, as her cottage winds its way through four Cape Cod towns to its new home, there are the additional familiar problems of workmen who don't show up for weeks on end and the unexpected costs of connecting the two buildings. Interspersed with anecdotes about her life and friends, Cottage for Sale is not only an entertaining account of Whouley's new addition, but also of her life as a single self-employed woman. It was one of those books that I thoroughly enjoyed and hated to finish. Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.