I've never attempted to contrive a living space from a ramshackle hut in the woods, but the experiences related by Patrick Hutchison so resonated for an overly ambitious gardener, indifferent but enthusiastic house renovator, and dreamer of a life in the wilderness. His way of describing how he faced unfathomable challenges and figured his way through kept me reading far too late into the night, enjoying the funny, self-deprecating voice of a storyteller who wanted to live his life consciously and with purpose while having no idea what he was doing. Inspiring and cautionary tale at the same time, CABIN was refreshingly honest and a true pleasure. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Patrick Hutchison’s Cabin is a witty and heartwarming memoir about stepping outside your comfort zone—way outside. With a mix of humor, humility, and heartfelt moments, Hutchison chronicles his six-year journey of transforming a dilapidated 120-square-foot off-grid cabin in Washington’s Cascade Mountains into something livable, and along the way, transforming himself.

Hutchison’s writing is refreshingly candid as he shares his rookie mistakes and triumphs in learning carpentry on the fly. His misadventures will resonate with anyone who has ever dived into a project they were wildly unqualified for—think of it as Wild meets HGTV. The memoir balances laugh-out-loud moments (like figuring out the hard way what “level” really means) with poignant reflections on resilience, self-discovery, and the joy of seeing potential where others see ruins.

The descriptions of the mossy woods and quiet solitude of the Pacific Northwest are as vivid as they are soothing, making Cabin a love letter to nature and simple living. While some sections linger too long on the technicalities of renovation, Hutchison’s personable tone keeps the narrative engaging.

Ultimately, Cabin is an inspiring tale of embracing imperfection, finding fulfillment in hard work, and reconnecting with the natural world. A must-read for DIY enthusiasts, nature lovers, or anyone dreaming of their own off-grid adventure.

*CABIN* is a charming, laugh-out-loud memoir about jumping headfirst into a wild dream and figuring it out along the way. Patrick Hutchison takes us from his office desk to a tiny, crumbling cabin deep in the Cascade Mountains, where his carpentry skills are as nonexistent as his plan. Over six years of renovation, missteps, and victories, he not only rebuilds a home but also finds a love for the process and the place. If you’ve ever daydreamed about starting fresh—or bitten off more than you can chew—you’ll love this heartfelt ode to possibility and perseverance.

One of my husband's favorite authors is Patrick McManus. Patrick Hutchinson could be his brother or cousin or distant relative but they both approach life in the same manner. In CABIN, after the "world" becomes too much for him to stand, Hutchinson decides to leave that world behind and move into a small cabin in the woods that is in desperate need of renovation. As he under estimates the work required and over estimates his skills, his view of the world changes at the same pace as his skills increase. Hutchinson succeeds because he has a sense of humor as well as a stubborn streak that won't let him quit and we get a much needed lift in spirit from his adventure. Again, if you've read McManus, you'll love Hutchinson.

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Melki's review
Dec 02, 2024 · edit

really liked it
bookshelves: back-to-nature

"In reality, it was a dark, musty, disgusting hole. There were spiders everywhere, skittering around the floor like extras in a Godzilla movie. It was the sort of place where you wish your shoes had shoes. There was no electricity, no water, no plumbing, no wires, no bathroom, no lights, no Wi-Fi, no cell service. If you counted gravity and rain, the total number of utilities would have been two. It was a wooden box with a roof and a door. It was perfect."

"I saw only potential, and I saw a version of myself that was capable of making it better."

Hutchison had a dream - a cabin in the woods where he could get away from it all, and test out his practically nonexistent carpentry skills. What he got was that, and much, much more.

"At times, it felt like the cabin and I were partners in a sort of joint self-improvement project. When the cabin was fixed up, maybe I would be too."

Sometimes these tales of novices who take to the woods can drive you crazy as the "adventurers" make one unbearably insipid move after another, relying on others to rescue them from their own stupidity. This author is honestly not that clueless when it comes to home cabin improvement, seeming to realize when it's time to call in the "experts" . . . or at least the friends who have a little more experience, and will work for beer.

"Whoever had come before me had approached carpentry more like a bird building a nest than a carpenter set upon a job.".

There's an awful lot of tool talk, which may or may not interest you, and some passages tend to drag on, but on the whole, this was a fun and breezy read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC opportunity.

3/5

Cabin was a neat read. I enjoyed the author sharing his experience fixing up his cabin. The writing was witty. Several times I caught myself laughing out loud and intriguing those around me. I felt the story was relatable and any outdoor enthusiast would find this entertaining. I wish there were photos included in the back to get a feel for how the cabin started and how it ended up.

Great read!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In the full swing of his mid-life crisis, author Patrick Hutchison takes the plunge and purchases a run down and poorly built cabin in the middle-of-nowhere Washington. Suddenly a homeowner, and finally given an excuse to purchase power tools, Hutchison and his band of yuppie friends embark in the wilderness for an adventure fueled by beer and the possibility of becoming a handyman.

Hutchison has a gift for narration and engaging storytelling, he does a wonderful job of taking the reader back to the very beginning-- when he wasn't quite sure how to correctly wield a hammer-- to the end of his craftsman's journey on Witt's End. Lessons are learned, mistakes are made, and a foundation is laid (both literally and figuratively) as Hutchison tries to figure out the direction he wants his life to take.

While I wasn't the target audience (which most likely leans towards millennial, non-handy men) I still enjoyed the journey and learned a thing or two about how to take care of a leaky roof.

I don’t think I realized this was a memoir when I accepted it from the publisher as I’m not a big fan of memoirs. I stuck with this one until about 35%, but I just couldn’t make it through. It really just didn’t interest me.

I do think that fans of memoirs will enjoy this as there is a good bit of humor spread around, and it will probably hit at some sentimentalities or even some nostalgia for some readers.

For me, it just didn’t have the it factor that makes me want to keep turning the pages.

Cabin is a memoir by Patrick Hutchison, who in his 20s reflected on his ordinary office job. His nostalgic memories of camping as a boy awakened a spark in him, one that meant quickly researching and buying a 10' x 12' derelict cabin in the beautiful Washington Cascades. His only building experience had amounted to boyhood projects. When he laid eyes on Wit's End, he saw the potential and felt the pull...warm summers with friends, learning new skills, being enveloped by nature, and a peaceful oasis to share with others. His excitement trumped the lack of WiFi, electricity, running water and a bathroom. He and friends spent happy weekends fixing, building, learning and communing. He soon discovered lurking mud slide danger, roof leaks, outhouse guests, pesky rodents and chilly nights, But, why not? Indeed. I can relate. I leave home comforts in Canada for a year at a time and live in a rural and rustic European country, different mentality, a new culture and language. Our old stone house is an open invitation to all sorts of critters which keeps us slightly on edge, rain leaks down the walls in wet season, a trail for a road, and the projects and work are nonstop. But we wouldn't have it any other way. We are immersed in nature 100% of the time, as Hutchison was at his cabin. When he wasn't there, he wanted to be. Sacrifices (and there are many) are hard but the rewards are rich and incomparable. Like his chimney building neighbour, I get it.

Hutchison's reflections and introspection are fascinating, too. He grew to realize what truly mattered and what didn't. He learned to read details. He cared enough to want to be at Wit's End when he could. The cabin's flaws were many but they actually almost became art in his eyes as they all had meaning and special associations. Hutchison's writing style is chuckle-out-loud funny (including the acknowledgements), engaging, conversational and real. I don't love all of his adventures (such as the mushroom chapter) but at the deepest level understand what drove him to impulse buy, undertake tricky projects, build friendships, immerse, and learn. If only photos at various stages were included!

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating book.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book about a man, a cabin, and how this odd couple grew in ways that he never expected.

A friend of mine texted me a few year before and told me something that I thought was nuts. She was going to give up her apartment, her job and her city, get an RV and just travel with her dog and cat. This person had never done anything rash in her life, and this seemed crazy, especially in the times we were living in. When I asked why I got a simple answer, why not. In this time my friend has grown in confidence, assuredness, and I think for the first time actually feels comfortable with herself. Even maybe liking herself more than I think she ever did. Reading CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison I think I finally understand why she did what she did, and more importantly why she had to. Both my friend and Hutchison did something that many would consider nuts, both made many mistakes, both learned a lot and became better people for it. Also Hutchison created this wonderful book that is a memoir, self-improvement, home improvement and how-not to handbook, all in one.

Patrick Hutchison was not happy with his place in life when looking through Craigslist he came across an ad for a cabin. Price $7,000 dollars. The cabin was one room, near the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, had no lights, no cell reception, no plumbing, but an outhouse. Hutchison fell not in love, but more he felt he needed to do this. A step maybe on the way of responsibility that he had not dealt with before. Borrowing the money from his Mom, Hutchison purchased the cabin, spent a night and made plans, while thinking he had made a big mistake. Soon he was making a driveway with friends, working on decks, cutting doors to make them level and big enough to let mice in. A stove found again on Craigslist opened up a problem of getting wood. Fixing one thing led to another. But it also lead to solutions and good times. New friends, a new cooking area and love soon followed. As the cabin grew and was repaired, so in many ways was Hutchison.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Building a bug-out shelter. A Bill Bryson look at log cabins. Maybe even a book likes The Walls around Us by David Owen, another book I recommend. Instead a met a writer who was lost, who found himself by fixing a refuge in the woods. Hutchison is a very good writer, able to set scenes, and smells that puts a person in the house full of mice leavings or outhouses with new tanks. Hutchison is also honest, talking about his mistakes, cutting doors, a leaking chimney, trees, and how the cabin brought him closer to his friends. There is a lot of discussion about building things, and a lot of discussion about the importance of having a purpose, build that loft, fix those rotting boards. And getting away from the madness that is social media. Hutchison is funny, his talk with the town about his outhouse is pretty good, and made me laugh out loud. As he grows and changes one can't help but feel good for him. Or jealous. I can go either way.

A perfect gift for people who people you know are going through a lot of things, and that's probably a lot of people. By turns informative, hysterical, and in some cases kind of magical. I really enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons, and one of them is understanding my friend better and why she hit the road. I wait for more books by Hutchison, hopefully about bigger and better cabins.

Wit's End for sure. This is a hoot. Read this if you've ever thought you might renovate anything, let alone but especially a cabin in the woods. Hutchinson learns a lot (as does the reader) over the course of his six year long quest to make his 120 square feet not only habitable but inviting. I liked that he's able to poke fun at himself and acknowledges when things get the better of him. It's adapted from a long form article and it shows. This is, oddly, given the subject matter, a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

We purchased a small vacation home during Covid and fixing it up saved my husband's sanity during lockdown! Luckily our place was in somewhat better shape than Patrick's cabin! I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of his exploits! Thank you NetGalley:)

The blurb drew me in because I enjoy reading about other peoples adventures; although. I have never been a fan of camping. The idea of staying in a tiny cabin that has no indoor plumbing or electricity and owning it is the last thing I'd ever desire.

However, the book was delightful! From learning how to use power tools and fix the cabin up, to the escape the cabin gave him, the author has a knack for telling an entertaining story. I related to his descriptions of how draining working at a job that you don't really like very much is and how mundane the typical conversations with co-workers about weekends and the weather is. .

I am giving this 5 stars.

Off the grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman

To be honest if this mémoir wouldn’t have triggered fond memories I would have said this is the most boring book I have read this year but no it wasn’t too bad after all and I stayed with it till the very last page. Did I enjoy passing all that time …not really but I didn’t dislike it either…

The book tells the author’s journey from an office job to restoring a cabin (shack) in the Pacific Northwest. Wit’s End, it’s the name of a gravel road and the address of a run down off the grid cabin. 120 shabby squared feet of fixer upper purchased on a whim. The man had zero carpentry skills and learned a lot over the six years it took to renovate it….This book is the story of those renovations.

The way it is told is sometime laugh out loud funny, can you picture the dilemma over drills and interchangeable batteries in tools, how to use a gas can, which nails to use, what kind of wood for finishing, what metal to use on the roof, how about a chimney and a sink and yes an outhouse, the driveway needs gravel….and it goes on and on….over the course of 28 chapters Mr. Hutchison comically details every step of his journey. Lucky him he had equally adventurous friends wanting as much as him to spruce up the shabby cabin that didn’t even have a light switch. With his friends he shared good times drinking beer, cooking meals but in construction all of them displayed a complete lack of experience. But they made it eventually.

Along the way the author discovered a surprise knack for handiwork and a new career was born.

Oh my, what a strange memoir. I don’t think I am the target audience, but I appreciate the author’s wit and candor. Early in the book, he admits to a dream of “becoming a gonzo journalist travel writer–type person. Think Hunter S. Thompson meets Paul Theroux and Anthony Bourdain”. Well, he has a great writing style, so it is a good start. I am curious about his next endeavors.

Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Enthusiasm can be infectious. Whether or not you have considered spending weekends in a closet-sized cabin with no toilet, you might find Patrick Hutchinson’s enthusiasm for it a bit catching. Much of it comes down to how well he describes his time in nature juxtaposed with a sterile office environment and unfulfilling job. The other part might be imagining how much fun it could be to relive a childhood experience like building a rustic treehouse and finding joy in the experience, creating an escape from the city and gathering place for friends.

Hutchinson’s book is filled with humor. While it has runs of granular detail, it is a fun and quick read.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the place and the storyline. I would love to get me a cabin one day and live in the woods. It is just something about being alone in the woods in the peace and quiet and around nature.

Patrick Hutchison’s dry humor shines as he jumps into the world of cabin restoration, and the antics of trying to renovate a crumbling shack in the Pacific Northwest are relatable (and downright funny). I mean, who doesn’t dream of abandoning their crummy job to restore a cabin with zero carpentry skills? 

I was totally on board as he described his crummy office job and his longing for life in a cabin. But after a while, the repetition kicked in. And trust me, he lets us know every other page how thrilled he is to leave his "soul-crushing" 9-to-5 behind. At first, it's funny and relatable, but then it starts to feel like, “Yes, we get it, Patrick! You wish you were at your cabin instead of your desk.”

But then the book settles into this repetitive groove. It’s like Hutchison has a playlist of “I wish I was at my cabin” tracks that he just keeps playing. We get it, buddy. Your office job sucks and your cabin is calling. Could we maybe get a little less lamenting about your job and a bit more cabin-building shenanigans? The minutiae of repairs felt endless—there’s only so much detail I can handle about caulking and plywood before my eyes start to glaze over.

I mean, a little nitty-gritty is great, but I was left wishing for some actual photos of the before and after. Like, can I see this tiny, run-down cabin transform into a cozy retreat, please? A visual representation would have taken it up a notch! If you're going to make me mentally catalog every nail, at least give me some visuals! And then, just when it feels like the place is coming together, the book speeds up and suddenly... done. I mean, years of work, and I get a fade-to-black ending?

I am very much the target audience for this book, and I absolutely loved it. It's a simple account of restoring a cabin that had seen better days, but the author's voice absolutely carries it, making it both laugh out loud funny and inspiring.

Hilarious and heartwarming, Cabin is the author's tribute to the improvement a run-down shack made to his life–and could make to yours. You know a book is going to be good when you first pick it up, page through, are somehow drawn to the Acknowledgements section and find yourself belly laughing and unable to put it down. Although it's not set in Minnesota, it could be. An aimless computer techie borrows $7500 from his mother to fund his whim to buy a remote patch of land with a crumbling structure. Not knowing the difference between a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver, say nothing of how to use a power tool, Patrick spends hours at the local hardware store; convinces a bunch of equally inept, adventure-seeking friends to help him; and invests many weekends in making the place semi-habitable. By the book's end, both he and the cabin have become more capable of fulfilling their purpose for being. Don't read this while lying next to your sleeping partner; your laughter and deep sighs of contentment will disturb them. Do read this if you want to be motivated to find a project to propel your own life forward, or just an enjoyable read.