James Rebanks Libri

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 landscape- 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 inheritance- 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 hope- 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 pastoral- not a utopia, but somewhere decent for us all.

I am the luckiest man alive, because I get to live and work in the most beautiful place on earth: Matterdale in the English Lake District. When I was a child we didn't really go anywhere, except a week in the Isle of Man when I was about ten years old, and I never left Britain until I was twenty. Even now, years later, the best bit of any travelling is coming home. Bringing us into the world of shepherd's baking competitions, sheep shows and moments out on the fell watching the sheep run away home, James Rebanks interweaves thoughts and reflections on the art of shepherding with his photographs of the valley, people and animals that make up the daily life of the fells. A life lived by the three hundred surviving fell farming families, this is a book of photos and words filled with reverence and love.

As a boy, James Rebanks was taught by his grandfather to work the land the old way. Their family farm in England's Lake District hills was part of an ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows, of pastures grazed by livestock, and of hedgerows teeming with wildlife. The men and women had vanished from the fields;; the old stone barns had crumbled; the skies have emptied of birds and their windblown song. Hailed as a "brilliant, beautiful book" by the Sunday Times, Pastoral Song(published in the United Kingdom under the title English Pastoral) is the story of an inheritance, one that affects us all. It tells of how rural landscapes around the world were brought close to collapse and of how the age-old rhythms of work, weather, community, and wild things were lost. And yet this elegy from the northern fells is also a song of hope--of 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 love and have pride in a place and about how, against all the odds, it may still be possible to build a new pastoral -- not a utopia, but somewhere decent for us all. -- From dust jacket

James Rebanks takes us through a shepherd's year, offering a unique account of rural life and a fundamental connection with the land. It is a story of working lives, family, neighbors, the English Lake District, and farming -- and of trying to exist and endure even as the surrounding culture changes

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 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 generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand, and has been for hundreds of years. A Viking would understand the work they do: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells.

From James Rebanks, the Herdwick Shepherd, comes a story that could redefine rural literature, centered on the Lake District and its people. Unlike many, Rebanks' life is not a personal creation; he is the first son of a shepherd, following a lineage that has thrived in this region for generations. Their existence is intricately tied to the seasons and the labor they entail, a rhythm unchanged for centuries. The work—sending sheep to the fells in summer, making hay, autumn fairs for flock replenishment, and the grueling winter toil—echoes practices that a Viking would recognize. Rebanks' modern reflections from this ancient landscape reveal a profound attachment to place, showcasing a way of life that often goes unnoticed yet has significantly shaped the environment. Through evocative prose, he guides readers through a shepherd's year, offering a unique perspective on rural life and a connection to the land that many have lost. This narrative is not just about work; it encompasses the people around him, his childhood, and the enduring presence of his family, who have farmed the same land for over six hundred years. While many stories focus on leaving a place, this is a tale of someone striving to stay.

The narrative unfolds on a remote Norwegian island, where James Rebanks reconnects with an old woman dedicated to the ancient craft of caring for Eider ducks. As he returns to witness her final season, he experiences the harshness of winter and the joy of summer's bounty. Through this journey, Rebanks discovers deeper insights about the woman and her resilient spirit, transforming his initial quest for escape into a profound exploration of self-knowledge and forgiveness amidst a unique, fading landscape.

Najbardziej zaskakujące wydarzenie literackie ostatnich lat. Bestseller „New York Timesa”. Międzynarodowy fenomen. „To jest moje życie. Nie chcę innego”. James Rebanks powrócił z wielkiego miasta na wieś, aby pracować na farmie, którą jego rodzina prowadzi od sześciuset lat. Z dala od zgiełku wiedzie proste życie w Krainie Jezior, gdzie ludzie od wieków hodują owce. Jego wybór stał się inspiracją dla milionów zabieganych, uzależnionych od smartfonów i poszukujących spokoju ludzi. Rebanks opowiedział im o świecie, w którym najważniejsze wartości wciąż mają sens, a relacje między mieszkańcami pozostały autentyczne, choć nie zawsze są łatwe. Książka Rebanksa to poruszająca historia człowieka, który wbrew trendom odnalazł spełnienie w prostocie życia i pokorze wobec natury. Opowieść o związku z rodzinną tradycją, wyjątkowym regionem oraz z naturą, która wyznacza rytm życia mieszkańców. Autor Życia pasterza szczerością i wrażliwością podbił serca milionów czytelników i zachwycił najbardziej wymagających krytyków. Książka stała się wydarzeniem literackim w Wielkiej Brytanii i USA oraz bestsellerem w Niemczech, Hiszpanii i Norwegii. „Urzekająca książka Jamesa Rebanksa (…) to opowieść o tradycji, znaczeniu korzeni i poczuciu przynależności w erze upływającej pod znakiem mobilności i autokreacji”. Michiko Kakutani, „The New York Times”