What the Flock! Raising kids, rearing animals and other misadventures on our family farm
- Downloads：6222
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-17 16:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sally Urwin
- ISBN：B09YVBR9J1
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From high heels to welly boots – one woman’s misadventures in becoming a farmer， raising a family， and making a living from the land。
Twenty-five years ago， Sally Urwin was living in a tiny flat in the city with a high-pressure job。 She was utterly miserable， suffering from depression and longing for a different life。
When she met and married farmer Steve， she imagined herself wafting around in floral dresses followed by a bevy of rosy-cheeked children。
The reality is quite different…
Sally is usually wearing a jumper covered in sheep poo and bellowing at Mavis the collie to stop chasing Gladys the grumpy pony， her kids are moaning about being dragged outside， while Sally is caring for a ewe who has ingested a poisonous plant after wandering into the neighbour’s garden。
But despite the chaos of juggling motherhood with running a farm， financial hardship and dealing with poorly animals， the exhilarating freedom of rural life has helped Sally to heal her own body and mind。 Lambing season might be backbreaking but there’s no greater joy than cradling a new-born lamb。
With a mix of grit， humour and the love of family， Sally shows us that it’s never too late to live the life you’ve always dreamed of。
Fans of the Yorkshire Shepherdess will love this hilarious， heartfelt， and honest account that will have you howling with laughter and sobbing into your tissues in equal measure。
Twenty-five years ago， Sally Urwin was living in a tiny flat in the city with a high-pressure job。 She was utterly miserable， suffering from depression and longing for a different life。
When she met and married farmer Steve， she imagined herself wafting around in floral dresses followed by a bevy of rosy-cheeked children。
The reality is quite different…
Sally is usually wearing a jumper covered in sheep poo and bellowing at Mavis the collie to stop chasing Gladys the grumpy pony， her kids are moaning about being dragged outside， while Sally is caring for a ewe who has ingested a poisonous plant after wandering into the neighbour’s garden。
But despite the chaos of juggling motherhood with running a farm， financial hardship and dealing with poorly animals， the exhilarating freedom of rural life has helped Sally to heal her own body and mind。 Lambing season might be backbreaking but there’s no greater joy than cradling a new-born lamb。
With a mix of grit， humour and the love of family， Sally shows us that it’s never too late to live the life you’ve always dreamed of。
Fans of the Yorkshire Shepherdess will love this hilarious， heartfelt， and honest account that will have you howling with laughter and sobbing into your tissues in equal measure。
Reviews
Steve Mobbs
，
What a lovely book this is。 Sally tells her story as if she was chatting to a friend about the ups and downs of her life on the farm， and the result is a heartwarming and very honest account of the benefits and challenges of agricultural life in the twenty first century。 I read this in a couple of days， genuinely laughing out loud at the tales of Candy the Fat Pony and Scabby the Sheep， then not twenty minutes later shedding a tear when the inevitable happens to some of the less fortunate animal What a lovely book this is。 Sally tells her story as if she was chatting to a friend about the ups and downs of her life on the farm， and the result is a heartwarming and very honest account of the benefits and challenges of agricultural life in the twenty first century。 I read this in a couple of days， genuinely laughing out loud at the tales of Candy the Fat Pony and Scabby the Sheep， then not twenty minutes later shedding a tear when the inevitable happens to some of the less fortunate animals on her farm。 Sally is obviously an animal lover and lets her heart rule her head sometimes when she has the chance to save a pet lamb or a distressed pony， while her husband Steve has a more practical approach， shall we say！She is very honest about the her struggles with mental health and has a positive approach to dealing with them。 I echo her sentiments about the mental health provision in the UK these days。 I know from experience that what she has to say on the lack of resources in this area is true。 The struggles that farmers face are many。 But if Sally continues to produce such great writing， and her books sell as much as they should， maybe the financial pressures on her fram will be slightly eased as a result。Anyway， stop wasting time reading this review and get yourself a copy of this book。 You won't be disappointed！ 。。。more
Ari
，
This was a cute memoir。 I mean， it wasn’t all cute… some of the stories were really sad and it definitely seems like farm life would be very hard。 I enjoyed the different tales about taking care of sheep and lambing and how they expanded。 The book was easy to read and I looked forward to reading it every night。
Hannah
，
I absolutely loved this book！ It was honest， funny and a like a breath of fresh air。 I especially loved how Sally Urwin talks about the animals on her farm; they are all family， flawed yet perfect in their own way。 I laughed out loud and cried into tissues， and I cannot wait to see what happens next at High House Farm。
Kacey/Kris
，
I loved this book。 This is the first time I have read/listen to this author。 She is so real and let’s you know if the real struggles they go through as farmers and as families。 I love forward in reading more of her books and hope to one day meet her across the pond。 Highly recommend this book。
Abbie | abbienruis
，
RTC！ ❤️
Shoshana
，
I love to read the memoirs of ordinary people whose lives are very different from mine。 I especially enjoy reading books about farming。 Sally Urwin's book "What the Flock！" is just the kind of book I like。 This is non-fiction， but reads like a novel due to Urwin's wonderful writing style。Urwin pulls no punches; as happy as she is on her family farm， and as many joyful stories she relates， she also shows the many hardships involved in contemporary agriculture。 I live in an agricultural state with I love to read the memoirs of ordinary people whose lives are very different from mine。 I especially enjoy reading books about farming。 Sally Urwin's book "What the Flock！" is just the kind of book I like。 This is non-fiction， but reads like a novel due to Urwin's wonderful writing style。Urwin pulls no punches; as happy as she is on her family farm， and as many joyful stories she relates， she also shows the many hardships involved in contemporary agriculture。 I live in an agricultural state with family farms fast going out of business， and what is plaguing British farms also holds true for American ones。 "What the Flock！" is a book I am so glad to have read， and like all good memoirs makes me wish I could spend a month there。 Except for the getting up early and hard work part， naturally。 Do yourself a favor and read this book。 I can give no higher recommendation。Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC 。。。more
J
，
Sally Urwin， was a city girl， working in a high pressure job， and the day came when she had a break-down in the women's room。 She met a man， Steve， who was a farmer。 She decided to move in with Steve and see what happens。 It wasn't what she thought it was， but between her and Steve， they learned and worked the farm。 Over time， they had to think outside the box in order to keep the farm operational。 Sally is honest in her journey， from the corporate world to life on the farm， from what she was ex Sally Urwin， was a city girl， working in a high pressure job， and the day came when she had a break-down in the women's room。 She met a man， Steve， who was a farmer。 She decided to move in with Steve and see what happens。 It wasn't what she thought it was， but between her and Steve， they learned and worked the farm。 Over time， they had to think outside the box in order to keep the farm operational。 Sally is honest in her journey， from the corporate world to life on the farm， from what she was expecting to the reality she found。 It wasn't easy， but they found a way。 It isn't the life for me， but I loved reading the book， and experiencing the life she was living。 There were many adventures and misadventures， there are unexpected surprises that came into their lives， it is the life they have， and how they made it work， and love the life they have。The book flowed smoothly， it wasn't focused on one aspect but the journey that she was on。 That made it a great read。I received an ARC from Thread Books through NetGalley。 。。。more
Jo
，
Sally Urwin has written a beautiful memoir and the way she narrates it in this audio book makes it all the more special。 I particularly enjoy when an author narrates their own book and this book is exactly why。 The humour and the drama all come out in Sally’s voice and tone and I felt as if I was sat at her table having a cuppa as she told me about her life。 Stunning book and I will be buying copies for friends。
Jan
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I don't know how to tell you how much I loved this book， but I do plan to buy several copies to give to friends。 There are so many stories included in this narrative！ Taking a lamb in diapers to book signings， transforming outbuildings into a destination farm venue complete with tearoom and craft ale brewery。 The Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2002 that was so disastrous for farmers and consumers alike。 Even worse than the Covid mess。 Did you know that a whitesmith is a metalworker who does finishi I don't know how to tell you how much I loved this book， but I do plan to buy several copies to give to friends。 There are so many stories included in this narrative！ Taking a lamb in diapers to book signings， transforming outbuildings into a destination farm venue complete with tearoom and craft ale brewery。 The Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2002 that was so disastrous for farmers and consumers alike。 Even worse than the Covid mess。 Did you know that a whitesmith is a metalworker who does finishing work on iron and steel such as filing， lathing， burnishing or polishing？ Whether you live in the British Isles， Australia， or in Wisconsin， farm life is tough， rewarding， fun， back-breaking， and a real financial and mental health challenge。 You just CAN'T go wrong with having the author as narrator。I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Thread， an imprint of Storyfire Ltd。 and Bookouture via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
J。
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my access to the ARC of Sally Urwin’s “What the Flock！”I don’t even know where to begin！ What the Flock！ is an amazing memoir that reads like fiction。 At times， I felt like I was reading a cute BritLit novel， filled with its highs and lows of Sally Urwin’s life， and her finding herself on a farm in the northern bits of England。 No spoilers， but you will find yourself being sucked into stories of working animals and pets that Sally took under her wi Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my access to the ARC of Sally Urwin’s “What the Flock！”I don’t even know where to begin！ What the Flock！ is an amazing memoir that reads like fiction。 At times， I felt like I was reading a cute BritLit novel， filled with its highs and lows of Sally Urwin’s life， and her finding herself on a farm in the northern bits of England。 No spoilers， but you will find yourself being sucked into stories of working animals and pets that Sally took under her wing。 If you are anything like me， you will laugh and cry and worry over the futures of the English farmers as a whole， and High House Farm， in particular。 You will learn things， too， about animals， animal husbandry， history， weird laws， and so much more！ I couldn’t put this book down until I devoured it from start to finish。 After finishing this book， I immediately went and followed the pint-sized farmer on social media， as it feels like she is my new BFF （not in a creepy way， but like having made a friend through her blog or FB posts）。 The best bit about her having written a memoir and not a work of fiction is that I can read what happens next by following her IG。 So， now， y’all need to buy her book when it launches in July 7， 2022， and read it （when you do， you’ll understand why we all need to buy her book and all farmers’ books） and follow her for more adventures on High House Farm on social media！ （But as she is a socially unique penguin like myself， let’s not crowd her space， ok？） 1000/10 would read again and again。 。。。more
Lisa
，
I had such a great time with this one。 I was initially attracted because of the title， I thought it was cleaver and would be a bit of fun。 It was certainly fun， entertaining， interesting and appeared very honest on behalf of the author。 The listened to the audiobook and Sally Urwin （author） was just perfect， her accent just added to the whole experience。 Definitely recommend！！Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。
Barbara Powell
，
This was so funny and yet so informative and educational。 I really enjoyed listening to it over the course of my day。 As a current small homesteader， I learned a lot and related to her stories。 Sally tells of her life in the corporate world and how unfulfilled it left her。 She decides to try a dating app and ends up meeting Steve， a sheep farmer who takes her to his farm on their first date and one of the lambs gives birth while they’re on their date and Sally realizes this is the kind of life s This was so funny and yet so informative and educational。 I really enjoyed listening to it over the course of my day。 As a current small homesteader， I learned a lot and related to her stories。 Sally tells of her life in the corporate world and how unfulfilled it left her。 She decides to try a dating app and ends up meeting Steve， a sheep farmer who takes her to his farm on their first date and one of the lambs gives birth while they’re on their date and Sally realizes this is the kind of life she’d rather have。 As they grow more serious in their relationships and eventually get married， they go through different stages with their animals and farming and Sally tells the ups and downs honestly and with lots of humor。 She doesn’t sugarcoat how tough the life is， physically or monetarily， but she also points out how rewarding it can be。 I love that she took in and cared for the lambs and pigs that were deemed not good enough and gave them fun names and nursed them to health。 I was not aware of her social media presence but I am a follower now because I can’t wait to see what her life is like on a daily basis。 I absolutely loved hearing her tell her tales in her own voice。 It added so much to the stories and gave it so much emotion。 Thanks to Thread Publishing and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Jenny
，
I greatly enjoyed What the Flock！ This is nonfiction， basically the author's life as a farmer's wife。 She's great at telling us all the details of her life， including her personal struggles with anxiety and the farm's struggles during Covid and Brexit。 I appreciate her honesty on this topic。 Her love of the animals is wonderful， and the animals all sound adorable。 Except for the chapter on rodents; I skipped that one。 It's sad that farmers struggle so much and have to seek other options for fund I greatly enjoyed What the Flock！ This is nonfiction， basically the author's life as a farmer's wife。 She's great at telling us all the details of her life， including her personal struggles with anxiety and the farm's struggles during Covid and Brexit。 I appreciate her honesty on this topic。 Her love of the animals is wonderful， and the animals all sound adorable。 Except for the chapter on rodents; I skipped that one。 It's sad that farmers struggle so much and have to seek other options for funding， like a brewery， glamping， wedding venue and more。 This book is narrated by the author， Sally Urwin， and she is honest， open and sounds like someone I'd like as a friend。 I will definitely follow her for more， and am going to track down the farm's social media。 Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and the author for a free audio book of What the Flock！ in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
In this book Sally Urwin tells her story of marrying a farmer and embracing the farming life。 I loved how much I learned about what it really takes - all the hard work， financial worry， animal cuteness， and happy and sad times。 It made me even more grateful for those on family farms who work so hard to feed the rest of us。Sally narrates the audiobook herself and does a stellar job。 I listened to it as I drove through the farm heartland of the USA - the perfect setting。Thanks to netgalley and the In this book Sally Urwin tells her story of marrying a farmer and embracing the farming life。 I loved how much I learned about what it really takes - all the hard work， financial worry， animal cuteness， and happy and sad times。 It made me even more grateful for those on family farms who work so hard to feed the rest of us。Sally narrates the audiobook herself and does a stellar job。 I listened to it as I drove through the farm heartland of the USA - the perfect setting。Thanks to netgalley and the author and publisher for a review copy。 I'm going to check out more of the Yorkshire farm books！ 。。。more
Karen
，