CULTURE

You Have to Get Your Hands on ‘One Tree Hill’ Star Hilarie Burton’s ‘The Rural Diaries’

Instagram

Hilarie Burton Morgan’s first book, The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm, is scheduled for its debut on May 5th through HarperOne (an imprint of HarperCollins). 

The Rural Diaries tells the tale of Morgan’s exodus from the hectic streets of Hollywood (with her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and their son) as they settled across the country in the quaint  town of Rhinebeck, New York. The Rural Diaries is a portrait of life in small-town America complete with DIY gardening tips, original recipes for home cooked meals, and charming anecdotes about the Morgans’ transition to a peaceful rural lifestyle.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

So I’m sitting here sewing straps on masks. And I’m thinking about how I want each person at my hospital who receives one to know how loved and appreciated they are. It feels weird to promote anything during this time. But the book I wrote is a love letter to my town. It’s a hug from the farm, where things don’t always go according to plan. For those of you who have pre-purchased autographed copies from my local bookstore @oblongbooks , I’m so grateful to you. Your purchase is supporting one of my favorite stores during this shutdown. And for those of you who’d like to purchase the book and haven’t yet, I’d like to encourage you to pick up your phone, find the mom&pop bookstore in your community and buy it from them. Lots of feelings here today. This promo was filmed by the father of my son’s classmate, @talaljabari . We met on our community soccer field. We filmed it during the cover shoot for the book, which was done by @bryanfirestone who is serving our town as an EMT right now. I just wanna cry thinking about how much I respect and appreciate these people. Hoping you and yours are healthy and safe. #ruraldiaries is being released May 5, 2020 by @harperonebooks . Xoxoxox

A post shared by Hilarie Burton Morgan (@hilarieburton) on

Aside from its gentler tales of alpacas and dandelion wine, The Rural Diaries also shares a more personal and raw side of Hilarie Burton Morgan– her trials and tribulations as she battled secondary infertility. Morgan, best known for her performance as the angsty and artsy Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill,  has been open about her struggles with fertility. Following the birth of her second child, Morgan shared her story on Instagram back in March 2018. In doing so, Morgan became a positive voice for many women struggling with fertility issues, sending bottomless sisterhood, support, and positivity their way. 

Most recently, Hilarie Burton Morgan has been sewing masks for healthcare workers who are on the front-lines of the COVID 19 battle. This is one of Morgan’s many charitable ventures; she most notably works with Astor Services, which provides a sanctuary for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. 

Morgan’s new book has already received love from fellow One Tree Hill alum, Sophia Bush. A week before the book’s release, Bush posted a photo of her copy on Instagram. Sharing her pride and gratitude for Morgan’s friendship, Bush commented, “She’ll always feel like home. And now — NOW sweet friends!! — she’s built one for you. This is a love letter she wrote, so long that it’s a whole book. How lucky for y’all.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Speaking of #wcw, my sisterwife @hilarieburton is my crush today & always. And this is the beautiful book that she wrote. My copy came this week & I definitely shed a tear or three when I tore through the packaging & held this beauty in my hands. This book is a labor of love, written by a woman so full of love & gumption & mischief, that when I first met her I couldn’t believe she wanted to talk to me, let alone invite me out to bars. Hil was always ahead of her time. When the rest of us were reading magazines, Hilarie was toting around copies of Ray Bradbury & Flannery O’Connor. She managed to build out full Halloween experiences inside of her own home that made professional set designers green with envy, but even more impressed. And even when she knew you were about to do something’ stupid, she’d let you know that she saw that stupid thing & was gonna call you on it, but that she’d still be there once you’d done it. We’ve wept together, cackled with laughter, fought like dogs, & generally run amok. And even when circumstance put some distance between us, we found our way back to each other. Like homing pigeons. Or bees. We built a hive together. She’ll always feel like home. And now — NOW sweet friends!! — she’s built one for you. This is a love letter she wrote, so long that it’s a whole book. How lucky for y’all. And because she’s a gem of a human, between breaks from tirelessly making masks for healthcare workers on her favorite sewing machine, Hil is helping to keep her local bookseller @oblongbooks open. How? Well, initially she’d committed to giving them all of the autographed copies of her book. She was going to spend a day in there signing books and gabbing with the staff. And then, lockdown. So all of the crates of books go to @themischieffarm instead. There was a limit set on signed copies, but thanks to so many people pre-ordering the book through @oblongbooks, they’ve surpassed that number. And since raised it. Twice. Your purchases are keeping her hometown shop afloat in this uncertain time. Makes me cry. Hil and Gus mask up and they get to work. Love and gratitude from their home to yours. See why I love her so? #RuralDiaries #May5th ♥️🌾

A post shared by Sophia Bush (@sophiabush) on

The Rural Diaries is available for online purchase  through Amazon, HarperCollins, and The Mischief Farm,be sure to check it out