When Laura Brodie decides to homeschool her eldest daughter, her husband isn't the only one to cast her a wary glance. Countless friends and relatives question Brodie's sanity, but, after years of watching her eldest daughter struggle in the rigid public school system, she knows Julia needs a break from the uninspired and overcrowded routine threatening to drag her into depression. "One Good Year" is a lyrical memoir that recounts the battles and joys that emerge between a mother and daughter when they embark upon a year of homeschooling; steeped in the colors and characters of a small Virginia town, Laura and Julia's story deals in human foibles as much as human potential, describing love and anger along with reading and math. When many think of homeschooling, they envision a fundamentalist Christian mom sitting at her kitchen table, teaching creationism alongside algebra, or a family of bohemian unschoolers, tending a vegetable garden with fertilizer. But today, home education has taken hold among America's mainstream, with more and more parents turning to homeschooling as an attractive solution for short-term educational problems. As homeschooling gains legitimacy, Brodie offers once-reluctant parents a do-it-yourself solution to overcrowded public classrooms and expensive private schools. While most of us consider even one snow day a particular form of parental hell, Brodie embraced the challenge to do what traditional education could not: give her daughter a sabbatical to explore, learn, create, and grow-a year of independent research and writing to rejuvenate Julia's love of learning. It was anything but easy, but through the laughter and tears (and, of course, yelling), they forged an invaluable bond that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

About the Author
Laura Brodie is the author of Breaking Out: VMI and the Coming of Women and the novel The Widow's Season. She lives in Lexington, Virginia, with her husband and three daughters, and teaches English at Washington and Lee University.

Reviews
"Engaging, unpredictable... No rosy manifesto to homeschooling, nor a condemnation, but a real-life encounter, full of stormy battles, power struggles and, most of all, passion. There are moments of pedagogic beauty... Graceful and charming." -- Kirkus Reviews "In a world where homeschooling is so often misunderstood, discounted, and even ridiculed, Laura Brodie offers a clear-eyed view and makes a valuable contribution to the literature on the subject. This is necessary reading for anyone with an interest not just in homeschooling but in education generally." -- David Guterson, author of The Other and Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense "Funny, heart-cracking and ultimately profoundly educational. I recommend this book to all parents and educators who have ever thought-I wish things could be different." -- Mary Pipher, author of Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World "Laura Brodie shines a spotlight on love as an essential ingredient [in homeschooling], creating a well-earned space on all homeschoolers' bookshelves and, optimistically, on the bookshelves of all parents." -- Linda Dobson, author of The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas "Love in a Time of Homeschooling, a touching glimpse into a mother-daughter relationship, will inspire you to foster a love of learning no matter what your schooling choice may be." -- Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder "The only thing worse than sending your child off on a bus each morning might be keeping that child at home. But Brodie manages the feat with wit, wisdom, love, and some hard knocks along the way. Her story gives hope that there is more to life than long division." -- Cameron Stracher, author of Dinner with Dad "As a parent involved in homeschooling, I highly recommend this book. It's timely, beautifully written, and must reading for anyone who has ever wondered what homeschooling is all about-and it would make a great gift for all your friends who think they know!" -- James Grippando, author of Money to Burn



Book Information
ISBN 9780061706509
Author Laura Brodie
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint HarperPerennial
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Weight(grams) 204g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 135mm * 16mm