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I really enjoyed this book. It's one of my favorite books that the club has selected. I'm surprised people found it so difficult to read. I thought that his personal experiences made the book more interesting and relatable, and I liked that he shared his honest struggles within his family (he even apologies to his mother in the Acknowledgments for being public). My friend who grew up on a sheep farm in this same area of the Lake District says the book was "spot on," and she plans to buy copies for her adult children (all born & raised in the US). I'm looking forward to chatting with her about it.
I chose to read the hardcover book. I'm not sure it would have worked as an audiobook for me. I appreciated the photos sprinkled throughout the book. I also liked the quotes. Reading rather than listening helped to delineate each segmented section. I took the entire time to read the book by keeping it next to my chair and periodically reading in small doses. I also purchased a hardcover copy of The Shepherd's View: Modern Photographs From an Ancient Landscape, which is more of a general explanation of shepherding life and the people in the community to supplement a variety of beautiful color photos. I also enjoyed looking at the photos of the sheep and the land on his Instagram feed.
I think the various accolades it received when published were deserved.
A New York Times Top Book of 2015
A Guardian Best Book of the Year
A Telegraph Best Book of 2015
A Daily Express Best Book of 2015
Shortlisted for the Portico Literature Prize
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted for the 2016 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize
Shortlisted for the 2016 Wainwright Prize
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