A love-letter to the unexpected delights (and occasional despair) of so-called “first-hand food”—meals we grow, forage, fish, or even hunt from the world around us. To Boldly Grow is “part memoir, part how-to guide and wholly delightful” ( Washington Post ). When intrepid eater and self-described “crappy gardener” Tamar Haspel and her husband move from Manhattan to two wooded Cape Cod acres, they decide to adopt a more ac­tive approach to their diet—raising chickens, growing tomatoes, foraging for mushrooms, and hunting their own meat. They have more ambition than practical know-how, but that’s not about to stop them. As she ventures farther into first-hand food, Haspel learns to rely less on experts (after all, they can make anything grow) and more on her own ingenuity and creativity. Filled with practical tips and hard-won wisdom, To Boldly Grow brings us along with Haspel as she goes from cluelessness to competence, learning what foods the landscape has to offer and discovering that a direct connec­tion to what we eat can utterly change the way we think about our diet—and ourselves. One of Cosmopolitan ’s 10 Best Non-Fiction Books of 2022 You Should Add to Your Reading List ASAP One of Smithsonian Magazine 's 10 Best Books About Food of 2022 “ To Boldly Grow is part memoir, part how-to guide and wholly delightful.” — Washington Post “If you have ever fantasized about trading in city life for foraging for your own food, Tamar Haspel…has done it for you in her hilarious memoir…[Haspel] turns her skills as a science journalist toward solving the perplexing problems that come with living off the land and enticing readers with its many rewards.” — Christian Science Monitor “ To Boldy Grow serves as both a memoir and guidebook to discovering the joys food, from planting to plating, can bring.” — Veranda “In this witty and playful memoir, Haspel chronicles their journey from clueless urban gardeners to competent farmers, foragers and fishermen...[T]ales of epic failure, as well as encouraging tips for anyone looking to develop a better connection with their food.” — Modern Farmer “Intimidated by the idea of growing your own food? Don’t be! Tamar Haspel’s nonfiction exploration of food, gardening, and creativity offers practical advice on how to grow anything—even without any expert help. It’s a bold blueprint for anyone who wants to broaden their food horizons.” — Life Savvy “Haspel aims to show that any of us can feed ourselves from our own backyards, as long as we have ingenuity and the will to try. In the end, the book serves as a guide as much as a memoir, with failures as well as successes documented.” — Smithsonian Magazine “As a Massachusetts resident and occasional visitor to Cape Cod who appreciates its land and sea resources and people, I found the deeply human-to-human and human-to-animal species and natural resource relationships endearing…Exquisite.” — Cape Cod Daily News “A delightful romp through the pleasures and perils of growing, killing and gathering your own food.” — Concord Monitor “A journalist who ‘grew up in a food-focused household’ chronicles her adventures gardening and eating in Cape Cod…With witty insight, the author shares their successes and failures along with tips and how-to advice…[A] great stepping-off point for individuals interested in exploring ‘first-hand food opportunities’ and exercising more control over the origins of what they eat. Knowledgeable inspiration for getting out there and getting dirty.” — Kirkus Reviews “Amusing… [with] a colloquial, curious tone reminiscent of the work of Mary Roach…The bright prose and clever insight make this a pleasure to dig into." — Publishers Weekly “Brimming with hilarious gardening anecdotes, To Boldly Grow … is an inspirational account of the author's improbable transformation from a city-dweller leading a life of the mind into an avid country gardener… Serving as a detailed six-part guide for readers who are considering food-gathering pursuits of their own and are curious about what it entails, Haspel's debut features all of the brilliant wit and lively storytelling that have made her a popular food and science writer…In this entertaining and practical guide to homegrown food, a journalist discovers the joys of gardening, keeping chickens and ice fishing after moving to Cape Cod from Manhattan.” — ShelfAwareness “I want to be Tamar Haspel when I grow up…My advice? Run to the independent bookstore down the street and get a copy when they go on sale on Tuesday and/or bug your local library to put a few in circulation—in perpetuity…The book reflects the burgeoning interest in ways to eat more sustainably to help combat the environmental toll taken by an entrenched national food culture.” — Portland Press Herald “What do you get when one of the smartest journalists on food and nutrition decamps her New York City apartment for a plot of sand in Cape Cod? This fabulous, instructive and hilariou