Old-Fashioned on Purpose by Jill Winger feels like a deep breath in a noisy world. I read this cover to cover in almost one sitting, that’s HOW GOOD this is! 

It’s part encouragement, part challenge, and part reminder that sometimes the best way forward is actually… back. Jill takes you by the hand and walks you through the beauty of slowing down, living more intentionally, and choosing rhythms that nourish your home instead of draining it.

What I love most is that she doesn’t romanticize homesteading or simple living. She’s honest about the learning curves, the messes, the imperfect attempts, and the way modern life tries to pull us into hurry. But she also shows how choosing the “old paths”—gardening, cooking from scratch, ditching convenience culture, building community—shapes our hearts just as much as our homes.

Her message isn’t about recreating the 1800s. It’s about reclaiming purpose. Reclaiming home. Reclaiming connection. Jill reminds us that we don’t need acres of land or a flock of chickens to live a more grounded life; we just need a willingness to slow down and steward what God has given us with intention.

If you’re craving a simpler, more meaningful lifestyle—one rooted in family, faith, and the work of your hands—this book is like sitting with an older, wiser friend who gently says, “You can do this. Start where you are.”