Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter (Thorndike Press Large Print Biographies & Memoirs Series) - Hardcover

Hammer Head is warm, wise, and authentically inspiring. No other book has made me want to re-read Ovid and retile my bathroom floor, nor given me the conviction that I can do both. I loved it. --Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking with Men"

[A] quirky journey the author finds enormous release in hands-on labor free of words. "

Not many of us find the courage to follow that small voice inside us to our true work, especially when that work lacks social status and health benefits and financial stability. But here, in this wonderfully assured debut, Nina MacLaughlin compellingly chronicles having done just that, a leap of faith that brings her more deeply into her very core where the stakes are high but the potential for lasting joy is even higher. Lucky for us, MacLaughlin's evocative prose is just as plumb, level, and true as all the wood structures she ultimately learns to build. This is a lovely and important book! --Andre Dubus III, author of Townie"

In this beautiful memoir about learning a trade, Nina MacLaughlin explores mortality, desire, the passage of time, and the meaning of work. She transcends the personal and makes us question what of our own works are built to endure. This book a thing well-made certainly is. --Philip Connors, author of Fire Season"

Nina MacLaughlin built a dream by becoming a carpenter, and transformed her life. Hammer Head is her exquisitely inspiring story. I loved it. --Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica"

I have never built anything but after reading Nina MacLaughlin's smart, inspiring memoir Hammer Head, I wanted to. She gives context and depth to wood and the act of shaping it, of working with one's hands, of taking risks and letting go. A fantastic debut. --Molly Birnbaum, author of Season to Taste"

An effortless blend of literary craft with woodcraft. --Erin Shea"

A surprisingly thoughtful book about taking chances and finding joy in change. "

Renders enormous interest in this painstaking work, so lovingly delineated. "

Combining sage advice from Ovid and Mary Oliver with practical descriptions of tools and varieties of wood, the author, who quit her desk job to become a carpenter, shares the joys and frustrations of learning to make things by hand in an occupation thatis 99% male.