I enjoyed the book overall. It evoked my childhood quite strongly too. I grew up on the Tusket river, in a small rural fishing village. My people were farmers too, (though avid recreational fishermen).
I loved reading about the Lake District landscape: him looking out over the valleys; his descriptions of the brooks, the stony ground & harsh weather. I also enjoyed the rhythm and seasons of farm life, and his passages about other farmers and community activities. They were the highlights for me.
But like
gmw, I had some mixed feelings too. Today would have been my father’s 100th birthday - a poignant day. Rebanks’ grandfather and my father were the same age. We followed him around, ‘helping’ and were taught the importance of work hard, and to value family, friends and neighbours.
So I can appreciate many of the feelings Rebanks expresses in the book - an ancient way of life that he loves is threatened. When my father and his generation passed away, a vast storehouse of knowledge died with them. Most of us here couldn’t survive on our own anymore. We eat from the supermarket, not our own hand.
Provincially, most family farms have been bought out by agribusinesses. The’ve replaced hardy flavourful traditional crops with bland homogeneous ones. International corporations are doing their best to eliminate generations of Maritime family fisherman. So I get where Rebanks is coming from. That said, sometimes the chip on his shoulder felt a bit much.
I’m not sure he’s that honest with himself. He scoffs at artists, yet quotes poetry. He downplays the significance of his education at Oxford, yet his passion about UNESCO’s mission seemed as important to him as when he’s sliding around in the mud.
My biggest issue was with the bitterness he expresses in regard to the beauty of the Lake District, and who has a right to enjoy it. Most people are where we are by accident of birth. The position that unless you work the land, you have no right to appreciate it seems a false dichotomy.
He also seems to feel that loving the beauty of the natural world and landscape is superficial; hard physical work is the only thing that counts. That’s a bit condescending. Excuse the gore, but you can be knee deep in fish guts and enjoy the sunrise / sunset at the same time - millions do. And billions of people do other kinds of worthy work every day, including academic and artistic work.
Sorry for the longwinded posts. I guess it’s evidence I was quite engaged.
And despite my criticisms, I respect James Rebanks; what he’s doing and why. I enjoyed his book, and grateful to be introduced to it.