How to Breed Sheep, Geese and
English Eccentrics
By
Valerie Poore
When Maisie Peterson leaves
university in 1977 without a job to go to, she decides to help her mother save
her large and impractical country property in the wilds of rural Dorset by
trying her hand at self-sufficiency. Ma is just a tad eccentric, though, and
Maisie has no clue about farming. Her efforts are thwarted at quite a few turns
by a flock of willful sheep, a dotty aunt, a charming but ineffective boyfriend
and a swarthy, but highly desirably agricultural auctioneer. Emily, the ewe,
runs rings round her while Ma drifts in and out of the scene in an ancient
wedding dress, causing havoc in Maisie's attempts to sort out her personal as
well as her agricultural problems
What did I make of the book?
Farming — there is nothing to it!
Maisie Peterson has an idea, and like all ideas, it is best
to simply not think about it overly much and just do it. Of course, when it
comes to farming, a little knowledge can be helpful, especially when it comes
to livestock. But hey, if anyone can do it, Maisie can!
I don't think I will ever forget how Maisie transports her
first sheep, Emily, home from the market — I am not going to tell you how she
does it because I don't want to spoil it, but there were tears rolling down my
cheeks! It is hilarious. Add to that the rather territorial geese, the egg
stealing dog, and the useless WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms),
apprentice who is meant to be helping, but accidently set himself on fire.
And let's not forget the terribly eccentric mother, who often walks around the farm
yard in a wedding dress....!!!
This book is so funny, with a super fast plot and characters
— both human and animal — that I came to love. Honestly, I wouldn't be
surprised to see Emily trotting down the road and heading for my geraniums!
A wonderfully refreshing read that I didn't want to put down.
I Highly Recommend.
Links for Purchase
About the author
Val Poore was born in London,
England, and grew up in both north London and the west of Dorset. After
completing her degree in English, History and French at Bournemouth, she took a
further course in the conservation and restoration of museum artefacts at
Lincoln College of Art which qualified her for nothing at all really. She then
spent two years doing furniture restoration before going to South Africa in
1981 with her husband and small children.
Valerie left South Africa permanently in 2001 and has settled in the Netherlands, where she shares her time between a liveaboard barge in Rotterdam and a cottage in Zeeland. She teaches academic and business English on a freelance basis and still writes in her spare time, although she admits there's not enough of that at the moment. In fact, she has been writing since childhood and wrote stories, articles and radio plays for years before embarking on her first book in 2005. Val loves travelling especially when it involves roughing it a bit. She feels that she has better adventures and more interesting experiences that way.
Valerie left South Africa permanently in 2001 and has settled in the Netherlands, where she shares her time between a liveaboard barge in Rotterdam and a cottage in Zeeland. She teaches academic and business English on a freelance basis and still writes in her spare time, although she admits there's not enough of that at the moment. In fact, she has been writing since childhood and wrote stories, articles and radio plays for years before embarking on her first book in 2005. Val loves travelling especially when it involves roughing it a bit. She feels that she has better adventures and more interesting experiences that way.
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