Breederman: A novel

by Murray Anderson

446 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Bernadette]

I was totally captivated by this down-to-earth novel about an unlikely subject: dairying in northwest Washington state in the late 1950s and 60s. Murray Anderson vividly recreates the disappearing world of the small dairy operation. His main character Jack Swenson loves cows and wants his own dairy farm, but his dream faces changing farm economics, natural disasters, and a few wily, unscrupulous neighboring dairymen. To support a wife and young family, Swenson becomes a "breederman," an inseminator technician traveling to dairy herds in the county. Cows must be bred and have a calf in order to produce milk. His accurate portrayal of the feeding, care, milking details, smells and barn mess might put the reader off, but in the next sentence he shares the affection many dairymen have for these animals whose herds over time become like their own families. The author is a poetic observer of the seasonal changes, beauty and terrain in Skagit County, Washington. I feel like I've already lived there thanks to Murray Anderson.

[Amy]

Very well written, and I love the surprise ending. Breederman tells the story of a rural community, and a man who breeds cows. There are moments of contentment, uncertainty, joy, regret, and sorrow. I really had a hard time believing this was a fictional novel, rather than a biography.

[Micah]

When I picked up The Breederman I was not expecting too much out of the book, and I likely wouldn't have read it but for the fact that I share the same profession with the main character. It was overall a very fun and easy read and a good depiction of the way of life. The descriptions about Snohomish and Skagit Counties are so good, that you can follow Jack in your mind around the county and imagine how it was.