Row by Row: Talking with Kentucky Gardeners

“This is a loving and necessary book about our future: a possible world of connections with the earth, with the spirit, with the food we eat, and among human beings. Black’s sensitive interviews, her narrators’ creative lives, and the eloquent photographs are one powerful message of hope.” “Kate Black’s tender portraits of Kentucky gardeners read like good visits with future friends. Although these compelling Kentuckians’ backgrounds and ancestries vary widely, they have in common their striking commitment to growing their own food. Why do they garden? Their answers make each story rich and satisfying.” “Diversity throughout the book highlights our collective connection to food, land and the human experience.… Each tale is just intimate enough for the reader to feel a connection to the gardener, but brief enough to anticipate the next.… Row by Row evolves into a gardening manual, without giving a single instruction. Within the stories are secrets and inspirations that readers can apply to their own gardens, even if they’re digging for the first time.” * LEO Weekly * “Black’s commitment to listening to the oral histories cuts through the romanticism of much garden writing and the polarizing language that can afflict our food conversations in the United States.”