Heart of a Shepherd

I found this story quite touching. The protagonist's voice reminds me very much of a Chicago blogger a little younger than Brother, and I kept thinking how perfectly Parry captured Brother's self. The strength of the family was appealing. I'm generally put off by explicit Christianity, but Parry made the family's religion part and parcel of their innermost selves without proselytizing. The present tense was a little jarring- it's hard to pull off but certainly gives an immediacy to the flow of the story. I liked the setting and all the characters. I think the insight into what happens to a family when the mainstay is shipped off to war was very nicely done, as was the impact to the community at large. 3.5 stars.

I'm glad to see that lots of award committees could see the power and value of this story. I have no idea why the Newbery folks didn't as it seems right up their alley. I know that some ppl would be less than pleased that it's got a Christian theme, but it's not a particularly Christian book... it's a book about ppl who happen to go to church regular. I especially love that Grandpa is Quaker and Grandma is Catholic and they absolutely adore & respect each other.

Highly recommended to everyone interested in how the Iraq war affected ranching communities, and to anyone looking to broaden their horizons. I will look for more by the author.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

HEART OF A SHEPHERD is a beautiful book by first-time author Rosanne Parry. It draws the reader right into life on an Oregon ranch and into the life of a spiritual family dedicated to the land, their country, and one another.

Brother is the youngest of five boys raised on the family ranch. Soon, Brother will be gone to a high school boarding school, but for now it's up to him to help his father, grandpa, and grandma with the running of the place. As each day passes, it seems he is given more responsibility. Brother decides that's proof that they think he's growing up and will soon be man enough to handle his share of the work.

When news breaks that his father's reserve unit show more is about to be shipped off to Iraq, Brother realizes he doesn't have a choice. Ready or not, he will be the only one left to help his grandfather run the ranch.

With his father gone, he pitches in and learns how to handle everything from raising the bum lambs, literally lending a hand/arm with the calving, and making decisions like whether to use traditional branding or acid branding. Constant chores keep him busy, but he still has time to worry about the safety of his father commanding troops in Iraq. He knows he is not alone, since many in the community have fathers, mothers, and sons serving their country, leaving just a few family members to do what needs to be done here at home.

The story is an interesting mix of young and old. The experience of the old is passed to the young when it comes to handling ranch chores, as well as the rules of life in general. There is a strong sense of spirituality among the characters with the incorporation of a variety of faiths - Catholic, Quaker, and Baptist. It is evident that a higher power plays a major role in the lives described in HEART OF A SHEPHERD.

The appeal of this book should reach far beyond its YA audience. I look forward to reading more by Rosanne Parry in the future. show less

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book, especially since there is a religious undertone to it and I don't typically enjoy having religion be a part of what I am reading when it comes to fiction. The author did a stunning job of capturing the characters in relationship with their various beliefs (the grandparents are of different religious backgrounds) and simply making it a part of them rather than what they are made of, if that makes any sense.

The main part of this coming of age story is the deployment of the main character's father. The entire town is made up of military families and it is expected that you will join the military or become a rancher when you are old enough. The boy has lived with his father and his show more grandparents since his mother moved away,and with his older brothers off in school he will now be the only one left to help his grandparents care for the ranch. He tries his best to take on his father's role, but it isn't easy for him. By the end of the book all of his experiences have helped him realize who it is he was meant to be.

I imagine this is a helpful and meaningful book for any child whose parent is deployed as it deals with both the time apart and the changes that go through a soldier once they have returned to civilian life after combat. It is also an excellent look at families and relationships. show less

"Heart of a Shepherd" gets to the heart of a twelve-year old boy's struggle of needing to be a man in a boy's body. When his dad and their community of dads are called to war, and his own brothers are called away to do 'what they must do,' "Brother" must keep the ranch going. He could handle the chores, if they didn't include suffering or blood, but what ranch doesn't have animals that bleed?

An excellent read, made better by our own boys' experience of a dad gone to war. Thank you.

This isn't something I would usually read and I didn't love it. My book group chose this book because it was the local Altrusa chapter's "One City, One Book" selection last summer.

The book is set in Eastern Oregon, although a ways southeast of Pendleton, in Malheur County, where there are no actual towns, just lots and lots of ranching country. This is where 11-year-old Ignatius (better known as Brother) lives with his grandparents and father, and whichever of his four older brothers happen to be home from the Army, college or boarding high school. When his father's military reserve unit is called to serve a 14 month tour in Iraq, Brother and his aging grandparents are left to keep the family ranch running, along with the help of an show more immigrant farmhand who was one of my favorite characters.

What I liked:
The information about day-to-day operations of a farm, such as the details of Brother trying to save "bum[mer] lambs" (a phrase I learned recently when my kindergartener went on a field trip to a local sheep ranch) whose mothers have died. Also, preparations for wildfires that sweep through the area every year in late summer. Everything went so smoothly, they'd obviously done this many times before.
His description of the girl vs. boy grade school "war." In general, Parry uses some sly humor that I am not sure every reader in the target audience will catch.

What I didn't like:
The lack of backstory details: Brother's mother split when he was only 5, to be an artist in New York. Little references are made to her, but I wanted to know more about a woman who would have five children and then just walk away. Maybe Brother doesn't remember much about her or has just bottled all his feelings, but I would have liked to see the topic explored further. Especially considering how much he whined about not having a parent at home after his dad shipped out.
Brother's self pity: Yes, kids are whiny and, yes, Brother does have a lot to deal with, but it got annoying.
The in-your-face religious aspect of this book: I'm sure lots of parents would love for their kids to read books with "the breath of God" ([b:The Borrower|9902278|The Borrower|Rebecca Makkai|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311281832s/9902278.jpg|14794535] reference), but that's not my personal preference.
The ending leaves everything hanging a little. The barn is going to get partially rebuilt, and they have food for the animals, but how are a young boy and an old lady (and the ranch hand) going to keep the ranch running for another four months until Brother's dad gets home? And I really hate the sudden "I'm going to be a priest" epiphany. I didn't feel like there was that much leading up to it, other than the fact that he's an altar boy.

Obviously, this book is aimed at middle school boys, an audience that has different tastes and expectations than I do. I think Parry tried to fit too much into one little book, but maybe that's what it takes to keep boys interested. Based on my personal enjoyment, it would be a two-star, but I gave it a third star because it's pretty good for what it is.

Read for book group April 2013 show less

Brother is the youngest boy in a family with a military history. While his father is deployed to Iraq and his older brothers are away in school or the military, Brother strives to be the man he wants to be, helping his grandparents run the ranch so when his father returns everything will still be in order. Brother is a good, good boy, devoted to his family and values of hard work. On the surface this is a quiet story, but kids will identify with Brother's struggles and be intrigued by the details of ranch living. The author excellently brings to life the ambience of rugged, rural Oregon and the values of a ranching family.