Peace at Heart: An Oregon Country Life

by Barbara Drake

In 1987, Barbara Drake and her husband sold their home in Portland and moved to a farm in western Oregon's Yamhill Valley. In PEACE AT HEART, Drake reflects on ten years of country living and on the happiness that this rural landscape has brought her. She combines gentle humor, practical advice, and deep respect for the work and the land.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life on a small sheep ranch/vineyard outside of Yamhill, Oregon is not for everyone but the author's essays convey her deep love for the quiet lifestyle and her joy in the little things. I wouldn't want to stick my hand inside a ewe to help her deliver a breech lamb in the middle of the night but I certainly enjoyed Barbara Drake's humorous take on it :) Her descriptions of savoring their homegrown wines while taking in the sunset over the Coast Range on summer evenings ALMOST made me want to embrace rural life. Minus the animal husbandry...

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable short stories about life raising sheep near Yamhill, Oregon. There are stories about raising the animals, life in the country, and the choice to move out of the city. I plan on giving a copy of this as a gift.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the great fortune to have the author as one of my professors in college. I was fortunate not only because she was an excellent teacher, but because I otherwise might not have encountered this book. I read it once, years ago, and found it on my shelves again this Spring. It is a wonderful memoir and I encourage anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the successes and travails of the beginning farmer to pick it up.

[Shannan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet and enjoyable story vignettes about life on a sheep farm in Oregon. Nothing flashy or terribly deep, but snippets of a peaceful and interesting life. As with all books like this, makes me want to pitch it all and go be a farmer.

"The warm light beckons from the barn on the hill. Being in it, with it. This is happiness. There is beauty everywhere and for the moment I am part of it."

[Josie]

This book was a gift from my sister, who knows that I hope to settle in the Willamette Valley with a large garden in the near future. It was perfect for a person like me, inspiring and contented. I'd highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a slow pastoral tale (or in this case, collection of short stories). Although, in the end, it made it clear to me that I don't want to own sheep!

[Kate Belt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of sheep stories; sheep dog stories; stuff like that, oh yeah and vineyard stories too. This book came out in 1998. I'm looking forward to her new memoir that just came out Nov. 3. Got a hold at the library.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not James Herriot, not as sappy you might say. It gives some concrete details to living a rural life in Oregon, a state to which I am somewhat attached. I appreciate her sense of humor.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic account of life and living in the Oregon country-side. Wonderful reflections.

[Bruth George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant reading about Yamhill County