This remarkable book was recommended by Gay Byrne on his nationwide radio program 'The Old Time Warp'. When Bridget Cantwell discovers she must build a house on her property in southwestern Ireland, even though she doesn't have the money, she finds a way to get it done.
The thing is, once the home is built, she must live in it for seven years before she can sell the site. Suffering from fibromyalgia and a head injury, she understands the challenge but simply has no choice in the matter. So she constructs a temporary shed to live in while she sets about learning everything she can about low-cost home building.
There's no electricity or running water, and the winters are unusually cold. The soil, it turns out, is pure bog, rather than the clay that her paperwork had indicated. One crazy situation after another presents itself, but she takes them all on, always looking at the funny side of things in order to cope.
With the help of friends and family (a materials scientist daughter comes in very handy), Bridget comes up with innovative solutions, finding that cheaper methods often prove to be better than their more expensive alternatives.
Set against a stunning Emerald Isle backdrop, Bridget Cantwell's lighthearted adventure is both entertaining and informative.
About the Author: Bridget Cantwell was born in Cornwall, England, and had a happy childhood beside the sea. Later in life, she moved to Ireland.
After a messy divorce, she ended up with a piece of property near Killarney, Ireland. But when she decided she needed the money and wanted to sell it, the local council wouldn't allow it. She constructed a temporary shed and lived in it without electricity or running water for six years while researching and then building her house. With the help of friends and family, she slowly managed to gather inexpensive materials to get a sturdy home built on the boggy soil. She chronicles her extraordinary experience in this book.
Cantwell has one daughter, who works as a research scientist and lecturer on materials science.
