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Pastoral Song: A Farmer's Journey
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About This Book
As a boy, James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old way. Their family farm in the Lake District hills was part of an ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows, of pastures grazed with livestock, and hedgerows teeming with wildlife. And yet, by the time James inherited the farm, it was barely recognisable. The men and women had vanished from the fields; the old stone barns had crumbled; the skies had emptied of birds and their wind-blown song. English Pastoral is the story of an inheritance: one that affects us all. It tells of how rural landscapes around the world were brought close to collapse, and the age-old rhythms of work, weather, community and wild things were lost. And yet this elegy from the northern fells is also a song of hope: of how, guided by the past, one farmer began to salvage a tiny corner of England that was now his, doing his best to restore the life that had vanished and to leave a legacy for the future. This is a book about what it means to have love and pride in a place, and how, against all the odds, it may still be possible to build a new pastoral: not a utopia, but somewhere decent for us all.
Reviews
"Superbly written and deeply insightful, the book captivates the reader until the journey's end ..."
"Rebanks offers a sensible way to think about food and the planet."
"Shot through with lyrical prose and intimate family memories, this is an immersive and stimulating call for change."
"A lovely cautionary tale filled with pride, hope, and respect for the land and its history."
"A product of centuries of righteous peasant judgment, he speaks with blunt, unmatched authority."
"We experience that esoteric life through Rebanks's evocative storytelling ..."
"And his eloquence describing his beloved farm gives it its beauty."
"farming and writing have proved complementary: while working long hours on the land, he has produced a book in a pastoral tradition that runs from Virgil to Wendell Berry."
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