Booksology Of course, this is more than just a book about sheep. But as anyone who has spent time with sheep knows, they are wonderful creatures, and Whybrow writes about them with curiosity and insight. This is a book about shepherding as a way of life. It is about pastoralism, a way of life in relation to place that peoples around the world have practiced for thousands of years, and a way of life that is under threat today. Wybrow’s recollections of learning how to care for the land and creatures, both wild and domestic, are interwoven with meditations on daughterhood and motherhood, the cyclical nature of farming, and what it means to belong.
Whybrow shares stories of harsh lambing seasons, encounters with coyotes, meals with land managers from around the country, the strange wonders of being a new mother, the sadness of watching a beloved parent grow old, long winters, and mundane conversations with neighbors. As the seasons of her life pass, it is the sheep who teach her the true meaning of loving, cherishing, belonging, and understanding place.
Much of this book is about death, just as much of farming is about death. As I read this, I was reminded a lot of Mary Oliver. He continually writes about death and in doing so reminds us to be careful and to love deeply. Mr. Whybrow’s wisdom is equally inspiring. There are no lectures, no well-written advice, no easy answers here. Whybrow does not offer empty comfort or simple salvation. The problems she has to face as a shepherd are thorny and complex. What does it mean to take care of? How do we care for creatures that don’t speak language? How do we love places (farms, forests, countries) with checkered histories? In the face of environmental degradation, climate change, and catastrophic change, what can we do to care for each other and the world we love?
Whybrow’s evocative prose reminded me of that summer when I was 22, the scent of lanolin, the morning mist in the valley, the sweet ache in my muscles. However, I don’t think you should read this book. This is a memoir that speaks to all of us. People who are interested in greenery and growth, people who have loved non-human beings, people who know sadness, people who want another world but love this world anyway.
