You probably remember her as Peyton Sawyer. The moody, record-collecting, "people always leave" girl from One Tree Hill. Or maybe you know her as the investigator from White Collar. But honestly? The version of Hilarie Burton Morgan we’re seeing now—the one living on a farm in the Hudson Valley with a bunch of cows and a mischievous donkey—is way more interesting.
She’s written books. Not "celebrity" books. Not the kind of ghostwritten, glossy-paged fluff that fills the bargain bin at airport bookstores. I’m talking about books by Hilarie Burton Morgan that actually feel like they were written by a human being who has sat in the dirt and cried.
It’s rare.
Most famous people want to tell you how perfect their life is. Hilarie wants to tell you about the time her basement flooded with literal sewage or how hard it was to deal with the toxic environment on her old TV set. There is a grit there.
The Grimoire Girl and the Magic of Being Real
Her latest work, Grimoire Girl: A Very Modern Look at Magic and Manners, isn't what you think. It's not about casting spells or bubbling cauldrons.
Instead, it's about the "magic" of keeping a record. A grimoire is historically a book of magic, but Hilarie reframes it as a scrapbooked legacy of your life. It’s a mix of memoir, philosophy, and "hey, try this recipe."
Why does this matter?
Because we’re all living in a digital void. Everything we do is on a cloud somewhere. If the internet died tomorrow, what would your kids have? Hilarie argues for the physical. The tangible. The messy handwriting in the margins of a cookbook.
She writes about the importance of "manners" not as some stuffy Victorian etiquette, but as a way to protect your peace. It’s about boundaries. It’s about being a good neighbor while also knowing when to shut the gate.
The prose in Grimoire Girl is dense. It’s lyrical.
She talks about "inheritance" in a way that isn't about money. She talks about inheriting the stories of the women who came before her. It’s a very grounding read, especially if you feel like you’re spinning your wheels in a job or a city that doesn't care about you.
The Rural Reality of The Rural Diary
Before the magic, there was the farm.
💡 You might also like: What Really Happened With Dane Witherspoon: His Life and Passing Explained
The Rural Diary: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm is her first big foray into non-fiction. It’s the story of how she and her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (yes, Negan from The Walking Dead), decided to buy a farm in Rhinebeck, New York.
They didn't just buy a house. They bought a lifestyle they weren't prepared for.
She’s honest about the transition. Moving from Hollywood to a place where your neighbors care more about your broken fence than your IMDB page is a shock.
- She describes the physical toll of farm work.
- She talks about the grief of losing animals.
- She details the "community" aspect of small-town life, like saving the local candy shop, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, alongside Paul Rudd.
What makes these books by Hilarie Burton Morgan stand out is the lack of ego. She admits when she’s wrong. She admits she was a "city girl" who didn't know anything about alpacas.
The narrative voice is conversational. It feels like you’re sitting on a porch with her, drinking something cold, while she tells you about the time she had to perform a medical procedure on a goat in her kitchen. It’s gross, it’s funny, and it’s deeply moving.
Why People Actually Connect With Her Writing
It isn't just about the farm.
It’s the trauma.
Hilarie has been very vocal about the "Tree Hill" years. If you’ve followed the news or the Drama Queens podcast, you know it wasn't all sunshine and basketball. There was harassment. There was a culture of silence.
In her books, she doesn't name-call for the sake of drama. She analyzes the impact of those years on her soul. She writes about the "reclamation" of her identity.
When you read her work, you aren't just getting a celebrity memoir. You’re getting a blueprint for how to start over.
- Recognize the environment is toxic.
- Walk away, even if it costs you money or fame.
- Build something with your hands.
- Surround yourself with people who don't care that you're famous.
She’s living proof that your "peak" doesn't have to be in your twenties on a WB show. Your peak can be in your forties, covered in hay, writing books that actually help people breathe a little easier.
📖 Related: Why Taylor Swift People Mag Covers Actually Define Her Career Eras
Dealing With the "Celebrity Author" Stigma
Let’s be real. Usually, when a celebrity writes a book, we roll our eyes. We assume a ghostwriter did the heavy lifting and the star just showed up for the cover shoot.
With Hilarie, it feels different.
The sentence structure is specific. It’s got that slightly rambling, poetic quality that matches her real-life speaking voice. She uses words like "curmudgeon" and "folklore" with genuine affection.
She’s also a big advocate for independent bookstores. She doesn't just push her books on Amazon; she’s constantly tagging local shops and encouraging people to buy from their neighbors. That matters. It shows she actually lives the values she writes about in The Rural Diary.
The Aesthetic vs. The Reality
If you look at her Instagram, it looks like a "Cottagecore" dream. But the books pull back the curtain on that.
The Rural Diary explains that the "aesthetic" is actually back-breaking labor. It’s frozen pipes in the winter. It’s the smell of manure.
By being honest about the dirt, she makes the beauty of her life feel earned. It’s not a filtered reality. It’s a lived reality.
Actionable Takeaways from Hilarie’s Work
If you’re looking to dive into books by Hilarie Burton Morgan, don't just read them for the gossip. There isn't much "tea" in the traditional sense.
Read them for the "how-to."
Start your own Grimoire. Don't wait for a special occasion. Grab a notebook. Tape in a movie ticket. Write down your grandmother’s advice. Make something that someone can hold in fifty years and know exactly who you were.
Evaluate your community. Are you surrounded by "industry" people who only like you for what you can do for them? Or do you have "farm" people? The kind of people who show up with a shovel when things get messy.
👉 See also: Does Emmanuel Macron Have Children? The Real Story of the French President’s Family Life
Embrace the pivot. Hilarie was a "teen idol." She could have spent her life chasing that high. Instead, she pivoted. She became a farmhand, a shop owner, and an author. It’s okay to change your mind about what your life is supposed to look like.
Invest in the tangible. In a world of digital clutter, Hilarie’s books remind us that the things we can touch—soil, paper, old wood—are the things that actually keep us grounded.
Final Thoughts on the Collection
Currently, her bibliography is small but potent.
- The Rural Diary (2020): Best for those feeling burnt out by city life or corporate culture.
- Grimoire Girl (2023): Best for the "creative souls" who want to build a personal legacy or find meaning in daily rituals.
She also contributed to One Tree Hill related projects and has been a voice in various essays, but these two volumes are the pillars of her literary identity.
The nuance in her writing comes from her willingness to be "uncool." She isn't trying to be the trendiest person in the room. She’s trying to be the most authentic version of herself.
That’s why these books work. They don't feel like a brand expansion. They feel like a letter from a friend who finally found a way to be happy and wants to make sure you find your way, too.
How to Start Your Collection
If you're ready to get started, don't just order them online. Go to a local, independent bookstore. Ask them if they have a copy of The Rural Diary. If they don't, ask them to order it.
Hilarie would tell you the same thing.
Support the local economy. Read the physical pages. Write in the margins.
That is the "magic" she’s talking about. It isn't found in a Hollywood studio; it’s found in the intentional, quiet moments of a life built by hand.
Take a Saturday afternoon. Turn off your phone. Read the chapter in The Rural Diary about the snowstorm. You’ll see why people are so obsessed with her voice. It’s not because she’s a star; it’s because she’s a storyteller who finally found a story worth telling: her own.
Next Steps for Readers
- Purchase a physical journal to begin your own grimoire as outlined in Grimoire Girl.
- Locate your nearest independent bookstore using the IndieBound tool to support local businesses as Hilarie advocates.
- Document one "inherited" recipe or piece of family advice this week to preserve your personal history.
- Audit your current environment to identify if you are in a "growth" space or a "performance" space, using Hilarie's transition as a mental framework.