Red Dog Farm

A Novel

By: Nathaniel Ian Miller

Narrated by: Olafur Darri Olafsson

An atmospheric coming-of-age story about a young man's transformative year on his family’s struggling Icelandic cattle farm as he falls in love, discovers the purpose he’s been missing, and seeks to connect with his stoic father, who remains haunted by a tragic past.

Growing up on his family’s cattle farm in western Iceland, young Orri has gained an appreciation for the beauty found in everyday things: the cavorting of a newborn calf, the return of birdsong after a long winter, the steadfast love of a good (or tolerably good) farm dog. But the outer world still beckons, so Orri leaves his no-nonsense Lithuanian Jewish mother and his taciturn father, Pabbi, to attend university in Reykjavík.

Pabbi is no stranger to cycles of life and death, growth and destruction. He is pursued by the memory of a volcanic eruption and its aftermath, and so many years of hardscrabble farming have left their mark. Jaded, and no longer able to find joy in his way of life, Pabbi falls into a depression soon after Orri goes away to school. Orri, feeling adrift and aimless at the end of his first semester, comes home.

For the first time, Pabbi allows Orri to help him run the farm. Despite their conflicting attitudes, Orri and Pabbi must learn to work together. Meanwhile, Orri meets a kindred spirit on the internet: Mihan, a part-time student. Over time—and countless texts and phone calls—their connection deepens. By year’s end, Orri must decide whether he wants to—or should—return to university, and what a future with Mihan would hold, if she’ll have him.

With his signature blend of humor and tenderness, Nathaniel Ian Miller’s Red Dog Farm is about the bonds forged and tested between family, friends, and lovers—and the act of building a home, together.

The realism

Amazingly accurate depiction of farm life in Iceland. The stoicism of the people was expressed so well. It was nice to see the interaction with some of the new immigrants to the country.

Loved it

I wasn’t sure about this book, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. The storytelling is perfect and I was very invested - so much so that I forgot it was fiction until I was reminded in the credits.

Beautifully Moving Story

A really good author has the ability to pull us into a story, make us forget we are reading a book and build a bridge for us to connect with the characters. Nathaniel Ian Miller has done just that for me with this emotionally complex book about an Icelandic cattle farm and the family who calls the farm home. The narrator does this book justice by capturing the stoicism, optimism and curiosity of the main character, Orri. As a warning, and as other reviewers have noted, there are depictions of animal deaths, which inevitably go hand-in-hand with farming. Being an animal lover, those sections were difficult for me to listen to, but I’m glad that I gave this book a try. This is undoubtedly a story that will stay with me and one of the best books I’ve listened to this year.

Good story

The story was original and interesting. It had excellent character and location development and good descriptions of both as well.

Learned a lot about life in a hostile climate.

Liked the story and learned a lot about Iceland and the challenges people face who live there.