FIFTY ACRES AND A POODLE(ISBN=9780553380156)

　　A wonderful writer, smart as they come, and a real joy to read.　　
　　 Annie Dillard

　　Humorous ... this true-life tale charts a big-city girl　　s transformation to farm gal.　　
　　 People

　　Jeanne Marie Laskas is the thinking woman　　s Erma Bombeck ... [with] a talent for finding wisdom in daily life.... Even the most entrenched urbanite will be charmed by this book.　　
　　 Andrea Sachs, Time.com

　　[A] delightful memoir about love and relocation ... [by] an accomplished journalist and also a deft storyteller ... Hilarious ... a pleasurable read indeed.　　
　　 Newsday

　　Rarely has a city girl transformed herself into a country goddess with such humor.　　
　　 Rita Mae Brown

　　Be sure to look for Jeanne Marie Laskas　　s new book in spring 2003 wherever Bantam Books are sold -- Review

　　Jeanne Marie Laskas had a dream of fleeing her otherwise happy urban life for fresh air and open space — a dream she would discover was about something more than that. But she never expected her fantasy to come true — until a summer afternoon’s drive in the country.

　　That’s when she and her boyfriend, Alex — owner of Marley the poodle — stumble upon the place she thought existed only in her dreams. This pretty-as-a-picture-postcard farm with an Amish barn, a chestnut grove, and breathtaking vistas is real ... and for sale. And it’s where she knows her future begins.

　　But buying a postcard — fifty acres of scenery — and living on it are two entirely different matters. With wit and wisdom, Laskas chronicles the heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of the colorful two- and four-legged creatures she encounters on Sweetwater Farm.

　　Against a backdrop of brambles, a satellite dish, and sheep, she tells a tender, touching, and hilarious tale about life, love, and the unexpected complications of having your dream come true.

　　Jeanne Marie Laskas is a columnist for The Washington Post Magazine, where her “Significant Others” essays appear weekly. A contributing writer at Esquire, she also writes for numerous national magazines.