I listened to this audiobook a while ago. It was almost right after another farm-focused one, so I decided to give some time between the two. That said, they are completely different to each other. This particular book focuses on a very different aspect of living a life on a farm.
The author does not come from a farming background, and it so happened that she ended up on a date with a farmer. We begin with the life she led prior to her marriage and her mental state at the time. Then the focus moves on to smaller anecdotes that overall provide a very comprehensive picture of a family on a working farm and the energy (both mental and physical) that it takes to keep the wheels turning.
The narration was fitting and made me feel like I was being personally told the story. Especially since the author narrated it herself.
There are several stages to the content, we pass through several years, sometimes looking back, but for the most part, the narration is linear. This last part is something I appreciate in a memoir-like story because it is easier to keep track of everything happening and give appropriate time to feel with the people. It also helps when you like the people who are being talked about because of their behaviour when faced with adverse situations.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is even mildly curious about the ins and outs of the regular, daily life of a farming family and the myriad decisions they have to juggle.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

What a lovely report about life as a farmer's wife. Sally Urwin recounts her everyday life with all its ups and downs and in all honesty. I loved returning to her, her family and their farm even when things seemed to went south. Learn about Brexit from a farmer's wife's perspective. A heartwarming (audio)book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

One day, Sally decides to leave her urban life with her office job and her high heels in order to become a farmer but then she discovers that the rural life is not only fresh air and wandering around the farm easy peasy while admiring the landscape. In reality, being a farmer is so much harder than it seems and it could be really stressful most of the time.

This was such a cozy read that made you discover the true life at a farm. I enjoyed listening to this book which I had also the ebook ARC and I was able to follow with the audio. Sally's rural life has a lot of ups and downs with some struggles mostly financial ones that the family has to undergo but, at the same time, it has its charm and funny moments that Sally wouldn't trade for all the world. For her, there is nothing greater than living this life.

From the risk of losing all your animals to the visit of the royal family to an invasion of rats, Sally's life at the farm will always be so eventful.

Author narrated her own audio book and she was brilliant.



This is one of those slice of life books, a true story (or collection of true anecdotes) that transports you elsewhere. This is Sally Urwin's story of how she left corporate life and became a farmer and farmer's wife. It's told with great warmth and honesty, avoiding bucolic beau ideal countryside tropes that don't bear up to scrutiny. Country living and working the land and animal husbandry are far more what we are designed for; living rurally and working outdoors is better for us. But it is also bloody hard work. Farmers are always on the edge of poverty. However, this was funny and heartfelt, a complete joy to read from beginning to end, Highly recommend.

I really enjoy listening to books narrated by the author and this was no exception. It was a great eye opening account of life on the farm including all of the wonderful moments along with the very difficult ones. The author was a great storyteller and kept my interest throughout!

I laughed, I teared up. This was just delightful from start to finish! I loved how it didn’t shy away from the pros and cons of life on a farm. Having the author narrate, as well, made it even more special ❤️

I don’t often read non fiction books but this was such an honest and raw book and the author really doesn’t hold back on her stories. You get the highs and the lows, which can be very low but between them as a family, with the support of the neighbourhood, they get through it.

These tough times really do push you to think outside of the box and appreciate what we have, farming really is a lifestyle rather than a job and I take my hat off to everyone doing it. It’s an incredible thing and the passion that Sally has for the animals shines through in this book

A self-narrated memoir about farming that reads like a casual conversation between friends over a cup of tea. Urwin doesn't shy away from describing the ups and downs of keeping a farm going. At points it's rather hard to listen to the family struggle as they push themselves to the limits just to pay the mortgage. But that's the reality of farming around the world. This memoir helps you appreciate what farmers are doing just to keep us fed.

From high heels to welly boots – one woman’s misadventures in becoming a farmer, raising a family, and making a living from the land.
A delightful audiobook which I recommend!

.5 stars!

I loved this audiobook so much! The author provides a unique look into their adult life, from being raised as a city girl to transforming into a country woman. It was so much fun to read.

The characters are well developed and explored, the details are perfect. Although I have a vast knowledge of farming, even someone who doesn’t could still easily follow Sally’s adventures in all types of farming and business. The ups and downs of farming are real!

I would absolutely read the next chapter in Sally’s farming life in a few years, in a heartbeat. As someone who has hobby farmed and owned livestock for many, many years, I would recommend this book to anyone who does any type of farming. Also, to anyone who appreciates a good non-fiction read or memoir. Even anyone who loves animals! This book is for practically everyone!

Really well done, Sally. A toast to this accomplishment. Cheers and congratulations!


(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you!)

Enjoyed this introduction to sheep farming and enjoyed the authors forays into wedding hosting etc. An honest portrayal of farm life as well as the author's struggles. Felt I learned a lot.

As the book opens we are introduced to Sally, fresh from university with a history degree that doesn't really prepare her for the world of work. With no career goal she falls into office life and eventually becomes a marketing executive for accountants. Unfortunately Sally realises pretty quickly that she isn't cut out for office life, she's happiest when outdoors.

In the early days of internet dating Sally is matched with Steve and their second date takes place on Steve's family farm. Sally isn't a natural on the farm but she is willing to give things a go and this impresses Steve. Eventually they move in together and Sally is over the moon when she's able to give notice on her office job and devote her life to working on the farm.

Life on a working farm isn't easy. Sally gives an accurate description of the hard work involved, along with the highs and lows of working with animals. Sally has a soft spot for those animals that would normally be euthanized as they are unprofitable for a farmer to rear so we have a variety of tales of "wonky" sheep, ponies and pigs and the trouble they cause.

Sally paints a very clear picture of how difficult it is for farms to turn a profit and the need to diversify in order to pay the mortgage. Pig breeding, glamping, a tea room, brewery and wedding venue are just some of the projects that have been developed over the years. I really enjoyed the story of the tea room receiving a coach load of pensioners. Expecting a nice profit from a large number of afternoon teas Sally was left disappointed when the light-fingered pensioners acted like a plague of locusts stripping the tea room of anything that wasn't nailed down, even the toilet roll.

Two major events show how bleak farming life has been in recent years. Firstly, the foot and mouth outbreak which saw many farmers having to destroy their animals. Secondly, COVID, which prevented movement of any kind. Just one of these could be the death knell for a working farm. Sally covers both of these events with honesty and openness, showing that with determination and a positive attitude things can, and will, get better.

I loved this book. This is the first time I have read/listen to this author. She is so real and let’s you know if the real struggles they go through as farmers and as families. I love forward in reading more of her books and hope to one day meet her across the pond. Highly recommend this book.

What the Flock - hands down the best book I have read for a long time. Urwin captures the audience from the first page down to the last page. It is a combination of funny, relatable and interesting.

Sally Urwin, creates a memoir that was close to the heart. Urwin went through her life career changes, office work in London that she traded in to be a farmer, then she became a writer, a mum, a wife, a caterer, a mum, a babysitter of adults, a lamb fashion designer and so many more titles. It is incredible to know her story in a way that is relatable and tasteful.

I loved how Urwin did not leave any detail out about her life. Urwin reveals the challenges and obstacles that farmers go through. As an audience that has not had much to do with farming, it was eye opening and gave me a lot of empathy for this industry. Urwin also touches on the reality of going through the foot and mouth epidemic that farmers went through in the early 2000’s and also the covid pandemic as well.

Urwin captures her memoirs with passion and with a narrow focus. I would recommend seeing Urwin on a book tour if you can (we obviously cannot as we reside in Australia).

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 5

Happy Reading,
The Booklyst

Sally Urwin has written a beautiful memoir and the way she narrates it in this audio book makes it all the more special. I particularly enjoy when an author narrates their own book and this book is exactly why. The humour and the drama all come out in Sally’s voice and tone and I felt as if I was sat at her table having a cuppa as she told me about her life. Stunning book and I will be buying copies for friends.

invisible-disability, nonfiction, Northumberland, memoir, infectious-disease, family, family-business, farm-animals, farming, fun, friendship, depression, animal-husbandry, mental-health-awareness, isolation, quarantine*****

I don't know how to tell you how much I loved this book, but I do plan to buy several copies to give to friends. There are so many stories included in this narrative!
Taking a lamb in diapers to book signings, transforming outbuildings into a destination farm venue complete with tearoom and craft ale brewery.
The Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2002 that was so disastrous for farmers and consumers alike. Even worse than the Covid mess.
Did you know that a whitesmith is a metalworker who does finishing work on iron and steel such as filing, lathing, burnishing or polishing?
Whether you live in the British Isles, Australia, or in Wisconsin, farm life is tough, rewarding, fun, back-breaking, and a real financial and mental health challenge.
You just CAN'T go wrong with having the author as narrator.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Thread, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd. and Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the elements of humour and the real stories of at times the harsh reality of living on a farm. I think it adds to the story that Sally herself reads it. I would recommend it as an interesting and easy listen.

What the Flock by Sally Urwin is memoir about farm life in the UK. Sally Urwin was a young woman working an office job in London when she began experiencing chronic pain and serious anxiety. After some time suffering through that with no successful treatments, she met a man who was a farmer and decided to leave the city life behind.

As this memoir began, I was put off by the romanticizing of farm life. I’m glad I continued listening because after the first few chapters, the tone shifts and Sally shares many of the obstacles and challenges faced by modern farmers. I especially enjoyed the chapters about calving and lambing. The first deep dive into farming challenges is when Sally describes the experience during the Foot and Mouth epidemic in the early 2000s. (Content warning for animal death.)

From there, Urwin describes more of her life on the farm mostly chronologically. I was very interested in her descriptions of the unique ways Covid impacted farm life. She also speaks about mental health in farming families and the deleterious effects of Brexit.

Overall, I enjoyed this memoir. It veered into farm life romanticism at the beginning and end, and there was a point where I was tired of the cute anecdotes about specific animals. Otherwise, it was eye opening and engaging. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys memoirs or feels connected to farm life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thread Books for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my access to the ARC of Sally Urwin’s “What the Flock!”

I don’t even know where to begin! What the Flock! is an amazing memoir that reads like fiction. At times, I felt like I was reading a cute BritLit novel, filled with its highs and lows of Sally Urwin’s life, and her finding herself on a farm in the northern bits of England.

No spoilers, but you will find yourself being sucked into stories of working animals and pets that Sally took under her wing. If you are anything like me, you will laugh and cry and worry over the futures of the English farmers as a whole, and High House Farm, in particular. You will learn things, too, about animals, animal husbandry, history, weird laws, and so much more! I couldn’t put this book down until I devoured it from start to finish.

After finishing this book, I immediately went and followed the pint-sized farmer on social media, as it feels like she is my new BFF (not in a creepy way, but like having made a friend through her blog or FB posts). The best bit about her having written a memoir and not a work of fiction is that I can read what happens next by following her IG. So, now, y’all need to buy her book when it launches in July 7, 2022, and read it (when you do, you’ll understand why we all need to buy her book and all farmers’ books) and follow her for more adventures on High House Farm on social media! (But as she is a socially unique penguin like myself, let’s not crowd her space, ok?) 1000/10 would read again and again.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read books and thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.

This was a fascinating book I loved the humour and how Sally and her husband interact, I also loved that this had mental health awareness and how not only anxiety but also post natal depression can hit someone. I also really enjoyed the talk about farm animals. Something that might interest some but I found a little disconcerting was the talk about many diseases, the covid outbreak and foot and mouth this I think hit a little too close to home for comfort but it didn't detract from my liking of the book or the animals. I also don't really read farming books very often so this could be one of the reasons for this as I may not be the intended audience.