I work for a pet industry trade magazine, and we often get animal-related books submitted from publishers. After we use them (or not), I can take them home.

A book about a year in the life of a British sheep farmer and his dogs.

This book has been compared to James Herriott's stories of the Yorkshire Dales, and since I wore out my mom's paperback copies of his books as a teenager, I knew I'd like this book. I was right. Nothing earthshaking happens during the course of a year on David Kennard's farm, but the look into a working modern British sheep farm, and especially how the sheepdogs figure into the equation, was especially enlightening to this suburban girl. I also was amazed to learn how far down on the brains list sheep are after reading of some of the predicaments they have gotten themselves into.

The book is headed to Australia, a country with a lot of sheep, although I imagine sheep farming (ranching?) is a bit different there. I hope catsalive likes this wishlist book.

Thankyou very much for sending this lovely, & heavy, book.

An interesting memoir that follows a year in the life of a sheep farmer in Devon. What a hard life it is, at the mercy of the elements & all the diseases to which sheep are prone, constant changes & challenges. A shepherd certainly couldn't do it without his brilliant dogs, & I loved reading about Gail, Swift, Ernie, Fern & Greg, & was so happy with Ernie's success in the end. The author notes: "It's a sobering, saddening thought, but I do sometimes wonder whether I represent one of the last generations of shepherds." I think he may well be part of an ever-decreasing way of life.

Sent to Rach260 from the Oz VBB.

Thank you catsalive for this solid hardcover. I look forward to reading it in the future.