An Unforgettable Journey from Academia to the American Wilderness

Forget midlife crises—Norah Esty and her husband Jim went full send into the wilderness, and A Long Way from Anywhere: Living Off-Grid in the American West (Unsolicited Press) is the hilarious, heartfelt, and occasionally harrowing story of what happens when two urban professionals give up city life for goats, generators, and garden beds.

Armed with Ph.Ds and zero practical experience, Norah and Jim traded academia and software for a run-down homestead in the middle of nowhere—literally. Eastern Oregon, off-grid, no neighbors, and certainly no takeout. What could possibly go wrong? Well… let’s just say there were some “learning moments” involving chainsaws, livestock, and predators of both the animal and existential variety.

For fans of memoirs like Wild and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, this is not your typical “I found myself in the woods” narrative. Norah’s sharp wit and candid reflections make it clear: off-grid life isn’t all sunsets and sourdough. It's hard, it's beautiful, and it will chew you up if you let it.

A Long Way from Anywhere (ISBN 978-1-963115-48-2) is available through Asterism Books and all major retailers for $19.95.

About the Author:

Norah Esty grew up in Montana, became a tenured math professor in Boston, and now lives off-grid in Oregon where she writes poetry, raises sheep, and attempts to master Icelandic (with mixed results).