3.5 stars

A worthwhile account of working farm life and landscape and the intergenerational pride, passion, and tension engendered by the work and culture, as well as an important reminder of what a tourist approach to a landscape is missing and potentially endangering. I thought the opening salvo of the book, a somewhat affronted challenge to the ignorant romanticism of outsiders who are also dismissive of the farming life Rebanks is so passionate about, was intriguing, but started to feel that antagonism grate a bit after a while. That said, over the course of the book his view seemed to balance out, recognizing that the attention from the outside world isn’t all self-serving and can be managed in a productive way. I don’t know if this shift in tone was due to the chronological development of the memoir, but it might have been better if blended in or at least hinted at closer to the beginning. In general the book felt uneven, often repetitive with sort of wandery logic. The seasonal structure helped a bit but could have been tighter. In any case I did learn some new things about sheep farming and the Lake District and have gained new respect for the art form that is sheep breeding, and its value for a landscape so entwined with human husbandry and culture, even if economically challenging. It was especially interesting to compare this mindset to the white livestock farmers of the American West, who have only been on the land for less than two centuries (as opposed to thousands of years) but often have the same sense of ownership and pique at being interfered with, and similar tensions between the interests of ranchers and conservationists. The difference being, again, that fell sheep are indeed part of the Lake District ecosystem, in moderation, while western American landscapes are not adapted to “locusts with hooves” as imported by European settlers. Would be interesting to read more about that comparison to see if it holds up.

What this? No I think I have some sheep dust in my eye...

Fantastic memoir. I visited this area two years ago and was amazed how accurate his descriptions are.

This is a honest love letter to farming life and I can see why it has been so popular (particularly in regional areas like ours) around the world. James Rebanks comes from a long line of Fell farmers in the Lake district in England - idolising his grandfather he wanted nothing more than to be a shepherd just like him.
The sheep, the land, the seasons and the weather dictate the rhythms of life on a farm and James takes us through the highs and lows of his year and his life. On paper farming life makes little sense - there are hours of hard work, going out in rain, sleet, snow and heat. The weather or a disease can wipe away a year's profits in days. But it is clear James wouldn't swap his life for anything.

James has a unique perspective on his life and the Fell farms: not only has he been born into a family of multigeneration farmers but he has also seen life outside of the lake district with his time at Oxford and his job which takes him all over taking to people in other countries facing the same issues farmers face in the Lake district.

Really interesting and a very unique perspective. I've heard the author likened to James Herriot, but this is a very different type of book and I'm not sure that's an appropriate or fair comparison. This book really aims to educate about farming while staunchly defending the family farm, the value of farming as a way of life, the relationship between farming and the landscape of the Lake District, and traditional farming methods as a cultural heritage worth preserving. The prose is very spare-a lot of 1 word sentences-and the author does sometimes get a little TOO defensive, but overall this was a fantastic read. It really allowed me to vicariously experience a year in a way of life totally unfamiliar to me.

Lyrical in his descriptions of the Lake District, Rebanks writes of a culture that is quickly giving way to modern life. Throughout the book he questions if life is better with modernization, and keeps coming back to a complicated answer. Like Pastoral Song, the narration is engaging and draws the reader into a life that, for many, is foreign. A wonderfully deep dive into a way of life many dismiss and scoff at. There is much wisdom to learn between these pages. Excellent reading.

Look, the one-with-nature, stripped down, salt-of-the earth types of books are one of my biggest bread-and-butters in reading. I will never not be interested in a memoir that digs deep into what the natural world can teach us, which is why The Shepherd's Life was such a disappointment. What I hated most about this book was Rebanks' cold and distant attitude: I understand that your family's way of life and the traditions of farming - especially in the wake of tourism - is of immense importance to you. I certainly respect that and can feel that frustration. But when you position yourself as somehow better than the vast majority of people who don't / can't live the life you live, the whole notion of a humble life and upbringing is out the window. When you continue to hold yourself at an arm's distance from the reader, I literally don't know why the author even bothered to write a memoir in the first place.

Further, the way this book is set up is so bizarre to me and does the author (and the reader) a tremendous disservice. Breaking it out into four parts by season was great, but within each part were these stop-and-go vignettes (I guess? I'm not sure what they were) that never allowed the reader any traction. Rebanks is nowhere near talented and open enough of a writer to pull this off in his career yet, so this technique was lost on me entirely.

On to the next!

A look at the ancient art of shepherding the fells of Northern England - the land, families, communities, sheep & dogs that make up The Lake District. It is very nicely written and is as much about relationships as it is farming. A beautiful book about a way of life that few people really know about. And, at its heart, it's a book about finding and accepting your place in the universe - and about making the best of everything you have.

This book is marvelous. Highly, highly recommended.

I’m glad I read it. Interesting that a shepherd’s son graduated from Oxford and returns to be a shepherd. I liked the technique he used, sharing vignettes organized into seasons and from childhood to adulthood. Good read.