The Shepherd's Life

Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape

By: James Rebanks

Narrated by: Bryan Dick

The New York Times bestseller and International Phenomenon
One of the Top Ten Books of 2015, Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times.

"It's bloody marvelous." - Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H IS FOR HAWK

"Captivating... A book about continuity and roots and a sense of belonging in an age that's increasingly about mobility and self-invention. Hugely compelling." - Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

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.

The Shepherd's Life the story of a deep-rooted attachment to place, modern dispatches from an ancient landscape that describe a way of life that is little noticed and yet has profoundly shaped the landscape over time. In evocative and lucid prose, James Rebanks takes us through a shepherd's year, offering a unique account of rural life and a fundamental connection with the land that most of us have lost. It is a story of working lives, the people around him, his childhood, his parents and grandparents, a people who exist and endure even as the culture - of the Lake District, and of farming - changes around them.

Many memoirs are of people working desperately hard to leave a place. This is the story of someone trying desperately hard to stay.

Beautiful story

Very moving, beautiful story. It was a privilege to hear about this man’s life and land and loves.

And the reader was fantastic.

Beautiful

Thank you for a perfectly read insight into a shepherd’s life revealing the intimate and intelligent bond between humans, sheep, dogs, and seasons.

Wonderful Story of Farming Life in The Lake District of the UK

Great descriptions of farmers and farm life. Focused on folks who raise and breed sheep. I loved the way that James’ farming life is directly connected to ancient ways. I Found it very interesting.

Amazing documentary of a way of life rapidly disappearing

It was like walking in the hills, laying on the grass, observing the beautiful landscape. It was beautifully narrated. I am hoping the author writes another specifically on sheep farming including raising, breeding and doctoring. Covers superficially sheep farming more in a romantic anecdotal way, but very knowledgeable of the old way of doing things, I am very interested on learning such ways before they are lost.

Voice was spot on. Depth of view from this author made it a delight to listen to.

Highly recommended. Travelled away to the lands. Totally immersed in this story. Recommended to my friends.