How to Catch a Frog: And Other Stories of Family, Love, Dysfunction, Survival, and DIY

This book has been very special for me, I have read it slowly, and have been touched by each chapter. I read it after choosing it for our store because it looked so inviting. Heather's approach, to turn her often poignant experiences into DIY lessons, is a testament to her optimism and wonderful ability to eek out something good from what most of us would consider disconcerting. Her transparency about her own failings is endearing because she so clearly had to make her way in the dark having been given virtually no light from her parents! I have returned to "How to Build a Bonfire" repeatedly, especially the last paragraph on page 55. I have journaled about it, cried over it talking to my husband, and will honor it with a permanent flag. I related to what it's like to feel left out as a child, and also how those of us who are cheerful and forever working to create happy memories can end up with cancer. Bless her Aunt Jane for caring! I loved the illustrations for each chapter, as another reviewer mentioned-- an authentic 70's touch. I wish Heather Ross every happiness and I thank her for this treasure of a book! It is going on my shelf of favorite books on my mantel.

I just finished reading How the Catch a Frog. Heather Ross’s book is very engaging, and her writing style is clever and fun. She wove the narrative really well, back and forth in time, painting a well-developed landscape of her rural Vermont girlhood in the decade of the 70s. Her somewhat careless parents are non-conformists who contribute to the creative woman she has become. We get to know her mother more intimately than her father, who left the family to seek his fortune when Heather and her sister were still quite young. An independent mountain woman with an extended family, Heather’s mother doesn’t keep much in the fridge, but always maintains a fire in the wood stove through the bitter New England winters. Springs and summers are full of kittens being born, saving frogs from mean boys, and swimming for hours in idyllic water holes. Swimming is actually a theme in Heather’s life, and she has two stories that contain heroic drowning rescues. She is re-introduced to her father on a few occasions, but he has disappointedly married women who do not embrace her unconventional spirit. There are a series of love interests in her younger adult years, artists and woodsmen who always start off with excitement, but end up lacking in materials, perseverance or loyalty. The happy end of the story brings us up to the present – a creative career in fabric design, a satisfying reunion with her father, a wonderful husband who is willing to support her struggles, and the amazing transition into motherhood.I have a hope that there is another memoir in Heather Ross, because I miss hearing her voice.

Usually I don't write reviews but I just had to for this book. I love art and illustration but I had never followed Heather or her work before. I just stumbled on this book on Amazon randomly. I love memoirs and I just absolutely loved this book. It's not as much about art/design, other than her experience as a new entrepreneur in the business. It is more about her perspective of her very unique childhood in rural Vermont and her complicated relationship with her family. But you can tell she views the world through an artistic lens just by the way she writes. She is just so perceptive and I love the way she describes things. Even if you aren't familiar with her work, I would definitely recommend this book. I absolutely savored it!

I am a hobby seamstress. I am familiar with Heather Ross fabric and have made her Summer Blouse several times from the pattern in her book Weekend Sewing. I was thrilled to find out about this memoir on Taproot magazine's Facebook page. As a child of the 70's and someone who has a difficult relationship with her own mother, this memoir resonates with me in many ways. I am glad it was available for kindle so I could devour it immediately however, I think I may need a hardcover copy for keepsake.

This is a great book. I really enjoyed these stories. I have always loved Heather Ross, but I liked her even more after reading this book. There are some great life lessons in this book. It's hard to believe such a young woman has had so many interesting and wild experiences in her life. She's amazing.

Highly enjoyable read. Heather Ross's how to format coupled with her authentic voice brings you into the mind of a talented artist and gives perspective to the things that shape the personality & drive to succeed starting at early childhood. Heather's story is like no others, yet speaks to me as if it were my own. Highly recommend it.

I am a fan of Heather Ross fabrics! Was so excited to see she had written a book. I enjoyed it and was so thankful she writes as well as she designs.

Fascinating to read about the ups and downs of life of a creative woman. Its so much more about relationships and growing up in Vermont (I can feel the cold swimming hole water) and its a great read.

I love the work of Heather Ross, her fabric designs captivate me, this book was a great insight into her childhood and upbringing. A fantastic read.

Beautifully written book and an honest and engaging read. I loved every thing about it.

This book is full of pain, loss, failure and triumph, all put forth with remarkable wit and honesty. it is full of New England as seldom encountered in letters. Bravissima.