I would say the first 50% of this book was very pleasant in the way it touched on different subjects around the farm. I enjoyed the ink block pictures and it was nice to learn about the way the author worked and interacted with her animals. However, it was too long of a meander to keep me engaged the whole way through.

It felt disjointed in parts, sometimes extra context was added at the end of a chapter or paragraph that didn’t really fit with the rest of it. Some things could be a footnote, even! I enjoyed the short chapters and I wish some of them were cut in two, sometimes two unrelated topics would be spliced together that felt a bit jarring.

But then, sometimes there were things that weren’t explored enough. There was a whole chapter on turkeys where most of them got eaten but we don’t know where the last one ended up, did she get sold? Killed?

I would have liked more structure. In a book that’s meant to be a meditation on life, animals, nature, I suppose it wasn’t the goal to have a lot of structure… but it read a bit more like a dictionary of experiences than a memoir.

A rather drier reading experience than au was expecting , but it was detailed and interesting and the author’s expertise and passion for her subject was evident in every description.

This book offers readers a delightful and insightful journey into the world of farm animals through the lens of her own experiences. As the title suggests, the book provides more than just a glimpse into the daily lives of sheep; it extends to various other creatures, each offering its own unique perspective and wisdom.

At its heart, Young's book is a celebration of the intelligence, social dynamics, and emotional depth of farm animals. Through vivid storytelling and keen observation, she paints a rich portrait of life on her family farm, where the interactions between animals and humans are filled with mutual respect and understanding.

One of the most captivating aspects of the book is Young's ability to convey the individual personalities of the animals she encounters. From the wise and stoic sheep to the mischievous pigs and the curious chickens, each creature comes to life on the page, reminding readers of the complexity and diversity of the animal kingdom.

What sets "The Wisdom of Sheep & Other Animals" apart is its emphasis on the interconnectedness of all living beings. Young eloquently demonstrates how animals not only form intricate social bonds within their own species but also forge meaningful relationships with humans. Through anecdotes and anecdotes, she shows how animals communicate, problem-solve, and exhibit empathy, challenging the notion of human superiority.

Furthermore, Young's book serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of ethical farming practices and sustainable living. By highlighting the intelligence and emotional capacity of farm animals, she encourages readers to reconsider their relationship with the food they consume and the impact it has on the world around them.

While "The Wisdom of Sheep & Other Animals" is undoubtedly a celebration of farm life, it also touches on the darker realities of animal agriculture. Young does not shy away from addressing issues such as factory farming and animal cruelty, urging readers to confront uncomfortable truths and advocate for change.

In conclusion, "The Wisdom of Sheep & Other Animals" is a charming and thought-provoking read that will appeal to animal lovers, environmentalists, and anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the natural world. Rosamund Young's passion for her subject matter shines through on every page, making this book an absolute delight from start to finish.

Having enjoyed her previous book 'The Secret Life of Cows', this was more of the same joy- Young's deep love and reverence for nature, as well as a voracious appetite to learn even more, make this book a riveting narrative about the sheer wonder to be found in the world around us.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very warm and comforting book, I was sceptical of what it would be like to read but the diary style of writing worked. I really enjoyed it and as I coming from farming stock it very much reminded me of life when I was younger. A lovely read and something very different.

Beautiful, farming as it should

I was drawn in from the very first page. Rosamund has collected together snippets from her life in farming and shares her obvious love for the animals she and her family nuture and care for and for all the life on their farm.

She doesn’t shirk from the hard work and sadness that farming can involve but this just made me admire and respect her all the more. She writes so evocatively that some of her sentences just made me stop and read them at least once more to savour the feelings and images her vision of the Cotswold countryside created for me.

Her descriptions of the animal characters she shares her life with are full of love and respect. I will never look at sheep and cows in the same way again. Her family’s love for the land they care for shines through. Their farm has been the inspiration for some very important people and is a place I would love to visit myself. She gives me hope that we can return to a more balanced relationship with our world that future generations can build on to the benefit of all species involved.

A beautiful read that I will return to and that will stay with me.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

“The Wisdom of Sheep and Other Animals” is a fascinating exploration of the intelligence, empathy, and resilience of the animal kingdom. I really enjoyed it and usually wouldn’t even look at a book like this twice, the book offers a captivating journey into the inner lives of creatures big and small.

Initially this book was quite interesting and a good read but then it just got a bit boring so I decided not to finish it as life is too short.

A lovely gentle diary-style book about life on the author's Cotswold farm, Kite's Nest. Her live of the animals, along with her clear passion for sustainable farming, shine through on every page. A delight.

I had high hopes for this book as I adores The Secret Life Of Cows, and it did not disappoint! Rosamund has such a beautiful way of looking at the world, and the way she describes the relationships between the animals is so wonderful. You can really feel Rosamund’s passion for farming and the love she has for her animals in her writing. It’s a really comforting book and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves animals!

I was a little unsure about this book at first because of its brief, non-chronological, diary-like episodes which covered different aspects of farming life, but this format turned out to be its strength for me. I was able to read short extracts in between other books or at the end of the day, when I needed a break or some relaxation, without worrying about losing the thread of the writing. It's extremely light and easy to read, although the content weaves in and out of matters of life and death, nature's cycles and the minutiae of running a farm. I really loved the stories of individual named animals with their particular quirks and characters, which thankfully didn't veer into sentimentalism, despite the writer's obvious love and respect for them all. Some of the observations were startling or surprising, informative or confirmatory, but they all created a gentle, positive and heartwarming portrait of an increasingly difficult but satisfying way of life, to which the reader might escape from time to time. A lovely book to dip into and unwind.

We often either assume animals are stupid or we choose to anthropomorphise their behaviour. Here Young takes the reader through anecdotes about her organic farm which show that our farm animals have complex hierarchies and relationships plus the ability to empathise and communicate with humans. It's a lovely short read which is as much a love story about farming as it is a memoir and an animal psychiatry primer.

What a lovely read this was. The Wisdom of Sheep & Other Animals is such a cozy book – and as someone who, like the author, grew up on a sheep farm in England, there's so much to relate to. I love how Rosamund Young narrates the seasonal ebbs and flows of an organic farm, from the round-the-clock demands of lambing time to haymaking in the summer.

As a nearly lifelong vegetarian (thanks to growing up on a farm), I don't always love reading about the realities of agriculture, but this book conveys a rare empathy, kindness, and insight.

Offering a restful escape to the English countryside with observations from Rosamund Young’s family farm, this memoir for 2023 is perfect for fans of James Herriot and anyone who dreams of a rural way of life.

You can also find The Wisdom of Sheep & Other Animals in my collection of cozy books to read on quiet evenings this winter: https://tolstoytherapy.com/best-cozy-books/

“I started a notebook-cum-diary and found to my surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed recalling and recording daily farm events. This book is based on that diary, … But there were so many days and even years with blank pages when actual live dramas swallowed up every minute of each day that much here is transcribed from my book of memory after all.”

My thanks to Faber & Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Wisdom of Sheep and Other Animals: Observations from a Family Farm’ by Rosamund Young.

This was a fascinating memoir that chronicled the life of the author on Kite's Nest Farm, where she and her family have been organic farmers for over 40 years. It is a record of a life that has been at the beck and call of the animals while observing and preserving the abundant wildlife around the farm.

This was a joyful read containing many anecdotes of farm life. I have some experience of living with animals as my parents once owned a small horse ranch and we had a number of additional animals, such as poultry and a goat, who was a companion for the horses. So the concept of being at the beck and call of animals definitely resonated.

Her stories of farm life were not all sweetness and light as the realities of life and death are always present. Throughout Rosamund Young conveys her deep respect for nature. Her writing was vivid and flowed well.

Sheep feature prominently as the author shares how they diversified from primarily raising cows, as she shared in her first book, ‘The Secret Life of Cows’, to building up a sheep flock. Plenty of stories of lambing and sheep antics.

She challenges the idea that sheep all behave in the same way. I especially enjoyed the accounts of Tealeaf, the sheep who decided to grow old disgracefully and joined the lamb gang and Dandelion, the hand raised lamb, who decided it was a ‘trainee sheepdog’.

The text is beautifully illustrated by Joanna Lisowiec and concludes with a bibliography and suggestions for further reading.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘The Wisdom of Sheep and Other Animals’ very much, finding it not only a charming account but thought provoking. I thoroughly appreciated its message of respect for nature and the value of organic farming.

This is a charming set of diary-like entries from the life of a hillside farmer in Britain, and her memories of growing up in this environment. The wisdom of farm beasts is not confined to sheep; we also get cattle, chickens, collies and more. I love the tale of a cow who was found lying down calmly in a field, and the farmer, knowing she was near to calving, led her into the barn and fed her. The cow then asked to go out again and would not rest. She led the farmer up the hill to where she'd hidden her lively bull calf in the bushes (proving that cattle have more in common with deer than with sheep, not mentioned).

A sadder story is that of the cunning fox managing to get into the escape proof and fox proof turkey run.

This is an organic farm and the rightly proud owners tell us of the battles they had to get grants without using any artificial fertilisers. I'm glad they are organic and animal welfare minded.
They use seven Landrovers. This stopped me in my tracks. What about the 'last horsemen' in Britain, on Sillywrea Farm, who use farm working horses? One or two Landrovers I could countenance, but seven? Are diesel, oil, tyre coating and brake pad lining categorised as organic? Later we meet a Rangerover, tractors and balers, and a JCB.

The author was caring for her ill mother for much of this book, and when that lady passed away, her brother and co-farmer also became seriously ill. At this point she faced being the sole working farmer, though she had two strong helpers.
An old countryside poem or two are introduced, including Stevenson's friendly cow all red and white. This is often an entertaining read and will appeal to those who enjoy countryside stories.
No photos were in my advance copy, I would have liked some.

I read an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

A random collection of anecdotes based round animal husbandry and nature. Whilst pleasant enough reading this won't win any literary prizes. I suspect Rosamund Young is a thoroughly nice person and she undoubtedly loves and respects her animals. But writing requires one's full attention to be successful and, rightly, her focus is elsewhere.

I spent a lot of time in the country and on a farm when I was a child. This book brought me back to those day and I loved the style of writing and the realism
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to the publisher Faber Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was a delight to return to Kite’s Nest organic farm in Worcestershire after thoroughly enjoying "The Secret Life of Cows". The book documents the trials and tribulations of everyday life on the farm. I find Young to be such a warm convivial presence, reading her writing is like chatting to an old friend.

Young is passionate about all aspects of farm life and this passion and enthusiasm pervades the whole book. There are very interesting points made on how government policy has an impact on farming life and how aggressive farming methods have such an adverse impact on the natural world.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to those who enjoy natural history books and anyone who is interested in the countryside. Interspersed with delightful illustrations by Joanna Lisowiec it would make a lovely Christmas present. A truly comforting read, perfect now the nights are longer.

This was a delightful comfort read sort of a book. Part memoir, part snippets of wisdom and part nature writing and animal psychology, ‘The Wisdom of Sheep and Other Animals’ looks back over the authors life as an organic farmer. I really enjoyed reading this as while it was non-fiction and full of information the writing style was very gentle and the descriptions made it feel as if I was there in person observing the animals with Rosamund Young. I loved how well she managed to flow together past and present and also link together personal family life and relationships and show how these co-existed together within the farm. Often writing puts things in certain boxes but this showed how all aspects of a persons life can meander together (a bit I guess like seasons and farming itself). A perfect read for cold, stormy winter days.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely, quirky book. I watch vet programmes on television and it has been lovely to read about the bonds of animals and the odd things that they get up to.