Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 10/14/2018 + 1031 more book reviews

A lovely depiction of sheep farming and life in the Lake District of northern England. Factual without being dry, sentimental without gushing, it's the story of a life that would be recognizable to shepherds a thousand years ago. Rebanks shows us that illiterate doesn't mean unintelligent, that a life of hard work in the dirt and muck of animals can still be engaging and rewarding and most of all, necessary. There's the stress and hard labor of lambing in the spring, the unrelenting cold of the winter, the lush grass of summer and sheep sales in the fall. The unspeakable tragedy of the hoof-and-mouth disease epidemic that almost wiped out an entire breed of heritage sheep, but then the slow satisfaction of rebuilding the flocks. There's an entire new vocabulary and interesting information about the hardy sheep breeds of the north. Loved how Rebanks talks about living in a place, the famous Lake District that Wordsworth wrote about, that the entire country feels they own a part of. If you've owned stock you'll recognize every word and if you haven't you'll learn what it's really like.

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