James Rebanks memoir about his family shepherding in the Lake District of England for the past 600 years is both poetic and gritty at the same time, although a bit repetitive at times. (Don't hold that against him.) Even if you are not the least bit curious about how someone raises sheep, this is still worth a read.

I envy the author's love of his place. I was fascinated by the life of James Rebanks and his father and grandfather before him.

If I'm going to rate accurately, I think this is more deserving of a 3.75 stars. Once again, I hate Goodreads for their limited rating system.

If you're unfamiliar with this book, then it's a non-fictional account, sectioned off in seasonal chapters, about the life of a Lake District shepherd. Rebanks' family have lived in this area for decades, and the farming way of life has continued on for generations. It's now Rebanks turn to run the farm, before passing in onto his children later in life. I've wanted to read this for quite a while now; I remember seeing it in a bookshop in the Lakes, Ambleside to be specific, and have been pining for it ever since. I'm glad to have finally read it.

It was an insightful look into the life of a native shepherd. He knows this land, its animals and its weather like the back of his hand. He has become accustomed to this way of life. For the most part, I liked the account of his life. It's so different to mine, especially as I currently live in a city. Not only that, but the Lake District is very dear to my heart. I've visited every year for as long as I can remember, so being able to familiarise myself with the places Rebanks documented was lovely.

However, this is where the novel irritated me a little bit. Rebanks came off as such a snob. Because he is native to the land, and because the farmers make a small majority of the Lake District's population (it is a massive tourist area, with non-natives buying holiday homes, etc.), and because he feels like he owns this land (because, in some ways, he does physically own his farming land), he believes he is superior. He belittled tourists, students, teachers, etc. These are categories I fall under. The snobbish tone of the novel really irritated me for the first 200 pages or so. He's just one of those people I know I wouldn't like.

The majority of the novel was rated 3 stars but, somehow, Rebanks managed to persuade me into rating it a little higher in the last chapter (Spring, around 50 pages or so). That chapter was solely focused on the shepherding, and I found it the most enjoyable out of the chapters. He didn't really talk about his schooling days or his family, neither did he moan or complain, instead it was dedicated to the sheep. The things that I was most interested in. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading the other things mentioned. They, essentially, made Rebanks into who he is. They grounded his place as a shepherd, and without them he probably wouldn't have wrote this. But I loved reading about the sheep (honestly, I don't know why).

I just wish his snobbery and arrogance didn't saturate the text as much as it did. It put me off immediately. Other than that, it was a lovely read. After reading it, I am quite intrigued to read W.H Hudson's A Shepherd's Life as Rebanks praised the novel so highly. I would recommend, just be aware that, at times, it feels like you're being talked down on.

Very interesting biography of the life of sheep and farming in the Lake District. Hard to put down. After reading feel that I know the farm and sheep quite intimately even though I have never visited that part of the Lake District.

A little repetitive in places.