YORKSHIRE SHEPHERDESS

How did the rebellious girl from Huddersfield who always wanted to be a shepherdess achieve her dreams? Packed with amusing anecdotes, unforgettable characters not to mention chickens, pigs, horses, cows, an uncontrollable goat and a vole who has taken up residence in the sitting room, this is Amanda Owen's story. With her husband Clive and their ever-growing family, Amanda has been watched by millions of viewers on ITV's The Dales living and working at Ravenseat, a hill farm of 2000 acres which she shares with 900 sheep, seven children, four dogs and one husband. It's a far cry from her childhood in industrial Huddersfield. In her delightful memoir she reveals how she achieved her dream and how she and Clive have dealt with the ups and downs of farming life, from the tragedy of foot and mouth disease to the joy of breeding a champion tup, and from the pleasures of living in tune with the changing seasons to the challenges of raising children in such a remote location. Her book takes us from the demands of the livestock to the demands of raising such a large family, fitting in with the locals to fitting in motherhood. She also evokes the peace of winter, when they can be cut off by snow without electricity or running water, the happiness of spring and the lambing season, and the backbreaking tasks of summertime - haymaking and sheep shearing - inspiring us all to look at the countryside and those who work there with new appreciation. Funny, heartwarming and packed with unforgettable characters both human and animal. 308 page paperback with colour photos.