The shepherd's life

The book chronicles James Rebanks' life as a shepherd in the Lake District of Northern England.

It follows a full year of his work, from the communal efforts of gathering the flock in summer to the challenging lambing season in spring and the harsh conditions of winter.

Rebanks reflects on his family's generations-long commitment to sheep farming, his own education at Oxford, and his return to the traditional ways of his ancestors.

The narrative is intertwined with the history of Lake District shepherds, the author's coming of age, and his critiques of modern industrial agriculture and the value of traditional knowledge and community.