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Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, his family have lived and worked in the Lake District of Northern England for generations, further back than recorded history. It's a part of the world known mainly for its romantic descriptions by Wordsworth and the much loved illustrated children's books of Beatrix Potter. But James' world is quite different. His way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand. It hasn't changed for hundreds of years: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the grueling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the hills and valleys.… (more)
This is a book to savour. It's the story of a man raised to expect to live his life as a shepherd in the Lake District, as his father, grandfather and ancestors did. So he does. But in his case, he has episodes elsewhere: as an Oxford undergraduate; as someone who works for the UNESCO World Heritage programme. These are interesting, worthwhile experiences. But they serve to confirm for him that shepherding in a traditional community, with all its difficulties and privations is all that he really wants to do in life, and it matters very deeply to him. He writes lyrically about the seasons, about winter days when he bursts open the haybales to offer his sheep the smells and tastes of the long-forgotten summer. He talks of the complexities of breeding, nourishing and bringing on his stock, always with his family by his side. His writing isn't always faultless - I became irritated at hios frequent misuse of the term 'disinterested'. But on balance it's a lyrically-written though realistic look at a way of life that's tough, unremitting in its demands, but ultimately important and worthwhile. To see if it's for you, just look at the last page- it won't spoil the plot - and in reading it, you'll discover that this book is in fact a love story by a man who loves the place where he lives, and his own place within it. ( )
A frank and non-sugar-coated view of modern shepherding in northern England. The highs, the lows, the challenges, and the rewards conveyed in often-lyrical descriptions. ( )
This read just as good as "Pastoral Song," but focuses more on the rhythms of shepherding as a way of life. It isn't wandering fields and sitting with sheep, it's a much more involved process for modern farmers to both care for and improve their flocks as a livelihood. James' pride in his work comes through in every chapter. ( )
I read this on a visit to the Lake District for my cousins wedding - it seemed appropriate for the trip. Its an interesting book which makes sheep farming sound like a complete nightmare! I quite enjoyed it whilst also finding the voice a little annoying at times. ( )
I loved this book. Every time I picked it up to read, I realized I was happy and excited to continue with it. The subject matter is close to my heart. There were plenty of things and ideas that resonated with me as I have lived my life taking care of livestock albeit on a much smaller level. For example I have to continually defend my dislike of winter snow and over abundance of unseasonal rain to my non farm type friends. Here I could say ' yes! Exactly.' The book itself is very well written. I felt like I could see the landscape described and could envision each scene as the author described it.
The story encompassed much more than a story about sheep. There was a lot about family and history and the importance of tradition. I recommend this book! ( )
Towards the head of these Dales was found a perfect Republic of Shepherds and Agriculturalists, among whom the plough of each man was confined to the maintenance of his own family, or to the occasional accommodation of his neighbour. Two or three cows furnished each family with milk and cheese. The chapel was the only edifice that presided over these dwellings, the supreme head of this pure Commonwealth; the members of which existed in the midst of a powerful empire, like an ideal society or an organized community, whose constitution had been imposed and regulated by the mountains which protected it. Neither high-born nobleman, knight, nor esquire was here; but many of these humble sons of the hills had a consciousness that the land, which they walked over and tilled, had for more than five hundred years been possessed by men of their name and blood... William Wordsworth, A Guide Through the District of the Lakes in the North of England (1810)
Dedication
Dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, W.H. Rebanks, and with respect to my father, T.W. Rebanks
First words
I realized we were different, really different, on a rainy morning in 1987.
Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, his family have lived and worked in the Lake District of Northern England for generations, further back than recorded history. It's a part of the world known mainly for its romantic descriptions by Wordsworth and the much loved illustrated children's books of Beatrix Potter. But James' world is quite different. His way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand. It hasn't changed for hundreds of years: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the grueling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the hills and valleys.
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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