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English Pastoral

An Inheritance - The Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Shepherd's Life
4.42 goodreads logo

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( 7,578 ratings, 1,133 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
English Pastoral by James Rebanks offers a compelling exploration of rural life, focusing on the generational changes in farming on a family farm. Rebanks reflects on the impact of modern agriculture on the landscape and the environment, intertwining personal history with broader ecological themes. This narrative beautifully captures the challenges and hopes of returning to a more sustainable way of living.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in the connection between traditional farming and sustainable practices. It's a reflective narrative that explores the challenges and rewards of rural life, offering an insightful look at modern farming's impact on the environment and culture. If you're drawn to stories that blend personal heritage with ecological themes, this book may appeal to you.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

English Pastoral offers a poetic, practical, raw, and almost miraculously detailed picture of an ancient way of life struggling to survive and to be reborn - New Statesman

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 landscapeβ€”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 inheritanceβ€”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 Lake District fells is also a song of hopeβ€”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 pastoralβ€”not a utopia, but somewhere decent for us all.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

English Pastoral by James Rebanks is hailed as a masterpiece that beautifully combines personal storytelling with a powerful ecological message. Critics praise its lyrical and moving narrative, capturing the struggle and transformation of traditional farming across generations. It is celebrated for its eloquence, emotional depth, and urgent call to reevaluate our relationship with the land, making it an essential read full of hope and inspiration. Overall, the book is viewed as both a personal memoir and a significant commentary on modern agriculture's impact.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141982571

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 225g

Pages: 304

About the Author

James Rebanks is a farmer based in the Lake District, where his family have lived and worked for over six hundred years. His No.1 bestselling debut, The Shepherd's Life, won the Lake District Book of the Year, was shortlisted for the Wainwright and Ondaatje prizes, and has been translated into sixteen languages. His second book, English Pastoral, was also a Top Ten bestseller and was named the Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year. Heralded as a 'masterpiece' by the New Statesman, it won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing and was named Fortnum and Mason Food Book of the Year; it was also shortlisted for the Orwell and Ondaatje prizes, and longlisted for the Rathbones Folio award.

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