James Herriot was a challenge for me to read initially.I was given the book by a friend of mine and told that it was really good.I dithered on reading it thinking it was another chicken soup for the soul kind of book.
However when I put the book down after reading it I felt that the world was a much better place for having an author who writes books like these.
James Herroit(a pseudonym) is a country vet whose clientelle consists of Yorkshire farmers. The books he has written are more or less the autobiography of his life and about the people he met.Its best to read Herriot starting with the first book.
Herriot starts off as a wet behind the ears vet who is assigned to the Yorkshire dales where he has to treat farm animals. Yorkshire is filled with farmers who look at Herriot with undisguised doubt and have loads of funny mannerisms.They respect old money and suspect made men. Gradually Herriot wins them over with his work.All along the way he recounts extremely funny incidents and extremely amazin stories about animals and their relationships with their owner.You would expect to hate the late hours Herriot has to keep and farmers who hold more store by what their next door neighbours say then Herriot’s medicines but you come to love these smart yet simple, hardworking farmers who haven’t a mean bone in their body.You come to love the Yorkshire dales for their rugged beauty and most of all you come to love each induvidual animal and the funny stuff Herriot has to deal with.
This is a book filled with ’’the good life’’ and you have to envy Herriot for having lived it.Read the book and be prepared to feel better about the world you live in