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The Farmer’s Wife: The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller
£9.60£10.40 (-8%)
Additional information
| Publisher | Faber & Faber, Main edition (29 Feb. 2024) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 384 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0571370594 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0571370597 |
by Carolyn D
Having read both James Rebank’s books I found it fascinating to hear their story from the female perspective. Helen writes from the heart and shows that their life has been far from a bed of roses. I am not a farmer’s wife but was a working mother and so much of the “trying to do it all” resonated. Just because many of us have had similar struggles shouldn’t be a criticism of her being brave enough to speak up. I don”t criticise her for highlighting the need for us to educate our children about where our food comes from and the need to get the best you can afford – as a country we spend far less of our income on food than many of our neighbours, its importance to our well being has been devalued and people like Helen are right to speak up. I don’t for a minute feel she underestimates how hard it is for many to eat well. Some of the recipes may seem simple to those of us who do cook regularly but unfortunately there are many young folk now reaching adulthood having not been taught to cook at home or at school. I will certainly use some of her recipes and will continue to be inspired by Helen’s social media posts.
by RuthieP
Warning – only buy this book if you have time to read huge chunks of it at a time or have very strong willpower to put it down!
Seriously, I bought the book out of interest, having read some of James Rebanks’ writing, wanting to support the family, not least because I also live in Cumbria. But having pre-ordered it & received it yesterday, I picked it up to have a quick glance through it & I couldn’t put it down!! I read 50 pages without coming up for air but my dogs were pestering me to go out, so I had to break off briefly. It’s brilliant … she’s an incredibly natural writer & storyteller, plus she has included recipes when she refers to them & included some others at the end. And her lists of useful things are brilliant, you’ll really enjoy them. It even has two different coloured bookmarks, so you can mark both your reading place and the recipe you want to try next!
I cannot recommend this enough, I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone with even the slightest interest in farming, sheep, the Lake District, etc. It would make a wonderful gift, too, especially for anyone who enjoys down-to-earth home cooking recipes, as it’s loaded with them!
by David Preston
This is a beautiful production from Faber complete with book mark ribbons. Author writes well and you feel you are in her Lake District location as you read. Portrays the role of the mother of young children well.
by Getting lost in a good book
A personal memoir on motherhood, marriage and living on a farm.
It was a fascinating read about British farming.
But overall the book spoke to me about the behind the scenes that create a home – cooking and making meals, the love, care, affection and motherhood.
They are the things that matter and can’t be measured.
Loved the author’s openness about the challenges and it’s a call to arms to be better stewards of our local rural area and to think about where our food comes from, to support local growers and farms.
To that end the author shared with us her tried and tested tasty family recipes.
It made very nostalgic to hark back to a simpler less rushed life
Thank you @theshepherdswife @faberbooks & @netgalley for an enjoyable read and the eARC
by Andrea
I liked the principle behind this book, and the writing was quite good, but there were so many receipes in it that I began to feel I had purchased a cookery book.
by SM
An absorbing , often magical as well as raw and real book. I couldn’t wait for precious moments in the day to return to it. One of those honest and lovely books that help open our eyes. Lovely recipes, observations on nature, family, modern living and how we need to behave in our land to pursue its health and vigour.
If you like Kate Humble’s books, you’ll like this one.
Fab
by Lesley Nott
Stay at home mums can get rather a rough ride and it was lovely to read the other side. I see some have been critical about buying the best steak you can afford, but let’s be honest if you want good food then the people who produce it should get a fair wage. Farming in not a factory and people who work the land need support, if we want food security then we must face facts. I enjoyed the journey from supporting James through uni to being a mum and a farmers wife, uplifting and hopeful.
by J Whitgift
I have previously read (James) Rebanks’ two books on farming and ecology, and have been taken by their candour, intelligence, and sensible dose of righteous anger. (As an Anglican Priest, I think his writing on Herdwick sheep can help inform Anglican ecclesiology.)
This book is different, as she is different to him, though there are sone deep correspondences between their two lives, not least their parents stories. With its recipes it might be misconstrued as being ‘not for men’ which would be wrong, as it offers a helpful juxtaposition and balance to his books. (Her writing about him helps us to better understand him.)
There are a couple of niggles. The first is her comments about food and buying choices. It’s very easy to say ‘buy the best you can afford’, but it’s not as simple as that. First you have to factor in availability – there are farm shops near to where I live and they sell good quality food, but Tesco is closer, and is cheaper to get to. Then there’s simple economies of scale – many people buy what they can afford, and which will cover a few meals.
Then there’s the domestic life: not always pretty in terms of their married life, and sonetimes she can be too honest. I eventually skipped the final few pages: domestic bliss wears a bit after a while.
This is a superb book, one to read alongside James’s books, and one which will compliment them. I may not cook any of the recipes, but their presence acts as a reminder that we are creatures not just of intellect, but also of body and soul.