1. Topic of exploration/themes 10
2. Development 9
3. Structure and coherency 7
4. Writing style 8
5. Pacing 7
6. Originality 9
7. Value 10
8. Emotional impact 9
9. Overall enjoyment 9
10. Resolution 10

Very enjoyable. I was intending to rate this 3 stars, thinking it not to the level of a Wendell Berry or John Berger ([b:Once In Europa|299814|Once In Europa|John Berger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348355237s/299814.jpg|2507234], etc.), but wait, those are five star authors, so this must merit four.

For many generations Redbanks and his family have farmed an ancient breed of sheep, called Herdwick sheep, on the steep hillsides of England's Lake District. Their life and routines are dictated by the seasons and animal husbandry techniques that go back many hundreds (if not thousands) of years.

Part of only a few hundred families who farm the region, Redbanks broke the shepherds mould by attending Oxford, but he never escaped the lure of the fells. He farms his family's land while also running hugely popular Twitter and Instagram accounts, sharing this unique lifestyle and the stunning surrounds.

His writing is clear and simple as he sets out his seasons, and his days within each season, while also sharing the rich history of the landscape and the characters from it. Who even knew that wildly famous children's author Beatrix Potter was also a committed fells shepherd whose contribution to the region is what she is far more seriously noted for?

I loved it.

Apparently I understood very little about sheep farming in actuality. I loved this book - honest, funny at times, and written with a lot of heart.

Captured the sense of purpose & poetry in life beautifully. A good read before bed

I came at this book with a lot of preconceived notions. It's about sheep -- I'm a knitter, I like sheep. It's about farming -- my grandfather was a farmer, I know a bit about that.

Turns out, I don't even know. I got schooled -- but in the best way possible. I think the people I admire most in the world are those that can do a thing well AND write passionately and movingly about that thing -- whether it's a place, or a skill, or a history. Rebanks covers all those bases and more. He's truly an ambassador for his way of sheep farming and the agrarian history of England's Lake District.

He doesn't pull any punches. Cumbrian sheep farming is hard, constant work. He's not raising sheep for wool (as I'd assumed) but rather for eating. The books is presented in the seasons of the sheep farming cycle, covering everything from mating to lambing, sheep shows and herding. In this context, readers get to learn a bit about his unconventional formal education track, and the family whose traditions he's trying to preserve.

A fantastic book about the passions of "place." I'd put it up there with Adam Nicolson's Seam Room.

A refreshingly real view into the life of a shepherd in the UK. There is good, bad, and ugly - presented in a beautiful way. I just loved the story and the view into life in the Lake District of England.