Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell and her husband Dale were thrilled when her aunt offered them a piece of land in the Ozarks. They thought they'd build a small cabin to enjoy at weekends and go on to build a larger house. As circumstances and choices happened, that small house, all 480 square feet of it, became their full time home. 

As Fivecoat-Campbell points out in the opening chapters of her book Living Large in Our Little House: Thriving in 480 Square Feet with Six Dogs, a Husband, and One Remote... Plus More Stories of How You Can Too, houses four and five times larger than that gradually became the American dream. The couple has lived in larger houses themselves, too. 

As becomes apparent through subsequent chapters, they have learned to thrive in this small house. It is not just their story, either. In the course of chapters considering practical and emotional sides of what to do with heirlooms, how to make friends in a new community, what to do about storage when you live in a small space, and why living sustainably is not only wise for the planet but wise as well for your small house, Fivecoat-Campbell weaves in the experiences and advice of a dozen or so other small house folk.

Some of these families live in places larger than hers, while a few others are in spaces half the size. Some are new to small house living and others have spent decades in small spaces. They, and Fivecoat-Campbell, are candid about the great things such living  offers and some of the pitfalls, things they wish they'd done differently, and changes they have made along the way.

Many of the chapters conclude with advice sourced from experts on subjects such as ways to get out of debt (it can be a challenge to get a mortgage for a small house, so you'll want to know about that) and what spices and utensils and pans you might want to stock in your small house kitchen. Every chapter also has a short section called Living Large Tips, where Fivecoat-Campbell gives her own practical advice on the subject under discussion.

How could living in a small house help you as a wandering educator? Perhaps you might look for such a space to save costs while you are on sabbatical, or reduce your environmental impact while at your home base. Could living in such a space allow you to travel more, either by cost and time saving at home, or looking for an economical small space while on the road? All possibilities you could explore. But maybe living in a small space isn't for you -- or maybe you already live in one. Having enough to fit what you need and enjoy your life is the point, Fivecoat-Campbell reminds.

Whatever your sort of space you live in, in Living Large you will find practical ideas to help. There are chapters on subjects such as sustainable living and how to approach sorting things for a move, for instance. In addition, reading along you will find that you will come to care about and be interested the stories of Fivecoat-Campbell and the families she interviews. It's good reading, framed by a subject you may not have thought a great deal about. It's a book that just might spark creative ideas for you, whatever your present living circumstance.

Keep up with Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell at her blog  http://livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com/

Kerry Dexter is Music Editor at Wandering Educators. You may reach Kerry at music at wanderingeducators dot com.

You may find more of Kerry's work in National Geographic Traveler, Strings, Perceptive Travel, Journey to Scotland, Irish Fireside, and other places, as well as at her own site Music Road.