All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House

ISBN: 0061362875

Author: Giffels, David

Condition: New

As wry as Bill Brysons Im a Stranger Here Myself, as insightful as Tracy Kidders House, here is smart, engaging tale of one mans stuggle to restore his familys new home-a decrepit old mansion-and discover himselfWith his pregnant wife and their 18-month-old son in tow, David Giffels scoured the environs of Akron, OH, in search of the perfect house. But nothing seemed right . . . until he spotted the beautiful, decaying Guilded Era mansion. A former rubber robber barons domain, the once grand house does need some repair . . . okay its a dump. So what if, theres nothing holding this place up but memory,-the assessment of his father, a structural engineer? It wouldnt be perfect if it were easy, and Giffels relishes the challenge. Hes a committed do it yourselfer who fears a life without struggle-and Home Depot.All the Way Home follows Giffelss funny and sometimes frustrating journey as he and his young family turns a decrepit money pit into the the home of their dreams. From outwitting squatters (both four- and two-legged) to rebuilding termite ridden walls, battling wisteria vines and finding $14,000 in Depression-era cash hidden in a bathroom wall, Giffels takes readers along on the ultimate fixer-up trip. Throughout he shows them the heart of a young man on the brink of adulthood, happily struggling with his new roles as a husband and a father-a man trying to find his way without losing himself.