Sugarhouse

January 9, 2012
A fixer-upper is just the thing to usher a young couple into adulthood, in this winsome memoir. Writing professor Batt and his wife, in the midst of the housing bubble, found their dream home—and when that deal fell through, settled for a Salt Lake City crack house that came complete with an eye-watering stench, tacky wood paneling, and hidden structural defects. The ensuing renovation gave the neophyte handyman an epic test of masculine resolve, a new appreciation for the aesthetics of slate flooring and poured-concrete countertops, and insight into the foundation of a successful marriage—namely, complete submission to female authority over decor. Meanwhile, Batt weathers upheavals among his extended relations—deaths, tensions, his cantankerous grandfather’s embarrassing fling with a younger gold digger—that form an alternately antic and glum commentary on the ricketiness of the home-building enterprise. Batt’s home-rehab picaresque is hilarious, engrossing, and stocked with a cast of squirrely tradesmen and manic realtors. At times the use of real estate as a metaphor for marital commitment is overdone, especially given the glibness with which he and his wife sell their castle. Still, his is a charming take on domesticity. Agent, Jim Rutman.

June 1, 2012
A doctoral candidate takes on a massive project of home renovation. In explaining how he and his wife became determined to purchase a house while he was studying for his degree in writing at the University of Utah, rather than renting like most graduate students, Batt writes, "To buy a house--or at least to look in earnest for one--is to admit to yourself that you think you're ready...It was time to grow up and settle down." The author was propelled by a sense that adulthood had "coldcocked" them: "everyone but us was dying, getting divorced, or having a kid." This in turn compelled Batt to recklessly purchase a Fisbo, a "for sale by owner" house with serious long-term maintenance issues--and a largely unexplored reputation as a one-time "crack house." The author deferred to the earnest eccentricity of the owner (Batt's character sketches are deft but briefly drawn), who assured him that the house was an undervalued bargain but left Batt the legacy of years of jury-rigged repairs. Much of the book follows Batt as he attempts to renovate the house on a low budget, haplessly doing much of the work himself, and also turning to bemused salt-of-the-earth Utah men for assistance in such tasks as building a cement kitchen counter. A major theme, unsurprisingly, is that of masculinity: Batt's home-improvement misadventures allow consideration of how hard it is for young men today (particularly intellectual types) to measure up to absent fathers. The embodiment of this idea is Batt's grandfather, a doctor turned cantankerous, lovelorn old man, whose deterioration provides the main element of the back story of the author's complicated family life. In the conclusion, Batt discusses his selling of the house and moving on to an academic posting. The relatable author writes clearly, but the twin story engines of personal angst and home-repair strife don't really mesh, resulting in a memoir that feels inessential and highly specific rather than potentially universal. This Old House for the NPR set.

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 15, 2012
When creative-writing professor Batt and his wife found themselves looking to buy a house, they settled on a run-down home in one of Salt Lake City's oldest neighborhoods, known as Sugar House (but often spelled as one word). It used to be a crack house, and it still felt like one. But the new homeowners were determined to turn it into a family home, despite being drastically underprepared for the challenges involved. Although the theme is not newlike many similar books, this one owes a substantial debt to Eric Hodgins' novel Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (1946), based on his real-life experiencesBatt makes the story feel fresh through a combination of lively storytelling, some very funny misadventures, and a goodly portion of real human drama, for the decision to buy a house wasn't a whim, being prompted by some pretty dire circumstances. A thoroughly enjoyable variation on a venerable theme.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)