Book Review: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (aka Pioneer Woman)

The state of Oklahoma has been home to many celebrities over the years. From Brad Pitt to Garth Brooks, Okies undeniably have the mettle to grow up and become famous. Joining the ranks of these notable Oklahoma natives is one Ree Drummond, better known as Pioneer Woman. Her blog is a sensation, encompassing everything from cooking, to homeschooling, to movies, to photography. It is a veritable Valhalla of domestic pursuits, providing wonderful advice and a real sense of community. This has, in turn, spawned  two cookbooks (the second of which is being released in March), a cooking show on Food Network, and a memoir about how PW met and fell in love with her husband, who she calls Marlboro Man. It is the latter that concerns me today.

Pioneer Woman's memoir, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels tells the story of her ambitions--toward what is never specifically delved into. I can only presume this is because it didn't matter what career she was going to pursue--she ended up becoming a ranch wife instead--and the whirlwind romance that led to her marriage and children. The book incorporates the same friendly, intimate, and undeniably funny voice that is prevalent on her blog. It also provides the reader with many tantalizing descriptions of meals and food, staying true to the website's food blog roots.

It is an easy, fast read, and quite gripping giving the "gentle reading" nature of the subject matter. It is rare to see descriptions of this kind of romance without the prose going saccharine, but Ree manages to write about her amorous feelings with an authenticity that makes it impossible not to enjoy. Moments that would normally be gag-inducing (for instance, snuggling with her man in the back of a pickup) will make even a hardened cynic soften for a moment and believe that simple, pure love is possible, even in our distanced, nuanced world. What Ree Drummond is offering us is a chance to see an absolutely ideal home situation. A real life story of a career woman finding true love, and a portrait of how romantic the Oklahoman countryside can be. Though the writing can be somewhat simplistic, the emotion is so genuine that it overrides any technical shortcomings.

Based on the merit of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, this reader hopes to see a sequel chronicling her forays into motherhood and homeschooling.