The Shepherd's Life

A Tale of the Lake District

Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for more than 600 years.

These modern dispatches from an ancient landscape tell the story of a deep-rooted attachment to place, describing a way of life that is little noticed and yet has profoundly shaped this landscape. In evocative and lucrid prose, James Rebanks takes us through a shepherd's year, offering a unique account of rural life and a fundamental connection with the land.