Tales from the Farm by the Yorkshire Shepherdess

by Amanda Owen

For everyone who loves watching Amanda Owen and her family on Our Yorkshire Farm, or enjoys reading her bestselling books, comes this delightful and uplifting collection of her monthly Dalesman columns.

In Tales From the Farmby the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda takes readers on an evocative journey to Ravenseat, where she lives with husband Clive and their nine children, not to mention their flock of sheep, herd of cows, hardworking dogs and a formidable chicken called Linda.

Covering events from 2019 through to early 2021, Amanda describes saving the life of a newborn calf on New Year's Eve and watching, mouth agape, as their livestock trailer was swept away by floodwater in March. Son Sidney braves the wrath of Linda and husband Clive crafts an unusual Valentine's Day gift. Eldest daughter Raven leaves the nest, headed for university, while young sheepdog Taff and Tony the pony arrive at the farm. As Covid-19 sends the country into lockdown, Amanda feels more lucky than ever to live close to nature, finding happiness in the beauty of the Dales and the unchanging routines of the farming year.

Illustrated with charming line-drawings throughout, this book is the perfect gift for fans of the Owen family and a chance to catch up on their adventures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir, Animals

192 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2022

About the author

Amanda Owen grew up in Huddersfield but was inspired by the James Herriot books to leave her town life behind and head to the countryside. After working as a freelance shepherdess, cow milker and alpaca shearer, she eventually settled down as a farmer's wife with her own flock of sheep at Ravenseat. Happily married with nine children, she wouldn't change a thing about her hectic but rewarding life. She and her family are the subject of Channel 5's Our Yorkshire Farm and have appeared in ITV's The Dales and in Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild. Voted Yorkshirewoman of the Year by the Dalesman magazine, she is also the author of the top-ten bestsellers The Yorkshire Shepherdess and A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book number four by Amanda Owen.
A small selection of her monthly Dalesman columns but plenty to make you giggle 🤭.
What an amazing family, although I'm slightly biased, as The Yorkshire Dales is one of my favourite places to visit.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

short articles from the farm spread over February 2019 to February 2021 so gives the reader an idea about the working of the farm in North Yorkshire

[Tanja Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Amanda’s column in “the Dalesman” paper and not a cohesive book as such. You get exactly what the title says and it’s familiar and lovely and very short.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely little easy read that is full of great storys from the farm and all the antics.grab a cup of tea and sit all cosy with a good laugh and some light hearted fun

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of Amanda's other books and have really enjoyed them. Tales from the Farm is a collection of Amanda's work written for the Dalesman magazine. This book includes entries from September 2019 to February 2021. I love Amanda's tales of the farm, animals and family. A really lovely book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Stewart Cotterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I can devour this collection of The Dalesman magazine essays by Amanda Owen is that she has that easy, chatty style to her writing. Her prose is very similar to the James Herriot books which is unsurprising considering both came from the same area. Very enjoyable.

[Janet farrow1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the Yorkshire Shepherdess and having read all her books and watched the programmes, this is more of the same and some of the stories I had already heard.

However, this was a collection of her articles that she had written in her local paper each month and there was some different material.
I listened to it whilst cooking, cleaning and walking and it was short, uplifting and easy to listen to.

[Ray O'Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to try this after the last one I read, and again, i was pleasantly surprised. I found it interesting and very enjoyable.

[Kate Hendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another audio listen . I enjoyed this dip into another life quite unknown to me . So many children !! Amanda is a lady who is not to be beaten with admirable standards for life and parenting , it’s most certainly a no frills approach . I have not watched /seen her on TV . I may now have to see this family for myself . I enjoyed sharing her life .

[Daisy Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in less than a day- so easy to read and compliments well 'our Yorkshire farm' and Amanda's other books. Really enjoyable and insightful-containing moments of laughter but also vivid realism. Amanda really captures all the joys of her colourful farming life with her nine children and gives you a month by month account featuring elements of her daily life and her essence of living in such a remote area. Would recommend to anyone looking for a light hearted and easy read.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

oleme saavutanud (ja vbla mööda lasknud) peak Amanda Oweni - mulle tundub, et tal väga palju uut enam pole öelda. kolm esimest raamatut olid kenad, aga see siin on kolumnikogu juba avaldatud tekstidest, ajaperioodist, mida oleme näinud nii teleseriaalis kui jälginud päevast päeva sotsiaalmeedias.

ehk siis ei midagi päris uut, ikka need lood, kuidas osteti hobuselaadalt poni (sest Clive'ile kodus oli lubatud, et hobust ei osteta, ja selle tagamiseks oli tuldud ilma treilerita) ja viidi siis Land Roveriga koju. või et mismoodi Raven ülikooli läks või kuidas lockdowni ajal farmielu oli.

samas, kui enne üledoosi saanud pole ja kõiki neid lugusid veel lugenud/kuulnud/näinud, siis võiks ju täitsa kena olla. aegajalt saab igatahes täitsa nalja, kuigi minu meelest sõnamängudega pingutatakse üle.

[Wendy Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tales from the Farm - Amanda Owen - 56 - 25 4 21
The Yorkshire Shepherdess is one of my guilty pleasures except sadly this wasn't so pleasurable. I read it anyway; its easily hoovered up but didn't enjoy it as much as her other books. Probably because I think it may just be repackaged or a straight lift from a column she has in the Dalesman. So each chapter is a equally sized chunk of shallow twee themed to an appropriate month. To be fair it did allude to this on the cover; I just didn't pay enough attention.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Audiobook version]

Short and sweet! This book is a compilation of Amanda's columns for The Dalesman so each chapter is a self-contained little story about what happened that month at the farm. I can't stand it when a non-fiction book meanders around (especially when I'm listening to it on audio), so this strictly chronological collection was basically my dream come true, haha.

(Although I had to laugh at The Dalesman being described as "one of the most universally recognised magazines in the country" when... I'd never heard of it...)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I previously read The Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen and loved reading about her life on the farm with her large family. This is her most recent book written in monthly chapters from 2019 to early 2021, describing the changing seasons and the changes within the farm including how fast her nine children have grown with the eldest daughter having left home to go to University.
I loved this short read ( 192 pages ) and would recommend it. A real feel good read.

[Dreximgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of stories Amanda Owen originally published in the monthly Dalesman magazine. I listened to the audiobook which was read by Amanda herself which I think added another layer of enjoyment to it. I love the tv show she has about her family at Ravenseat Farm and this was almost like a bonus episode, hearing her talk about her life you can tell she loves it and definitely knows her stuff.

Solid 4 stars.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short pithy extracts from the Yorkshire Dalesman magazine. Good for a quick read as it goes through the months, February 2019 - February 2021, but having watched the TV series on channel 5, there wasn't really any new information here. I did feel a tiny bit cheated having bought a book containing stuff I already knew about. I most enjoyed the piece at the end of the book by the editor of the Dalesman, Jon Stokoe, about the joys of being a journalist.

[Megan Staunton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m definitely listening to these in the wrong order (!) but I loved galloping back to Ravenseat Farm for a few hours of escapism. Covering 2019-2020, a year that we all looked to nature for respite, Amanda, Clive, their nine children, flock of sheep, herd of cows and chicken named Linda share with us their gallivanting adventures, unnerving moments on the farm and family milestones as shared in Amanda’s monthly column in The Yorkshire Dalesman magazine.

[Bookworm Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of tales and I read quickly but do feel it's rather a short volume. Nevertheless an ideal choice for in between longer reads and I still enjoyed these further tales.

Jolly hard work being a farmer but especially so for hill farmers. So I don't know how Amanda finds the time to multi-task as she does. I have read her previous 3 books, all enjoyable reads and this latest one will also be going to my local hospital for others to read.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Amanda Owen. There, I've said it, without a trace of embarrassment. I spent this afternoon with Our Yorkshire Farm on the TV in the background while I read this book. Utterly joyful (although I did have a sob at the news of Bill's demise). Thankyou again Amanda, Clive and family for bringing joy into so many lives.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again a fantastic Book for Amanda Owens, about her life on the Farm, anyone who has seen her and her family on Channel 5 UK Should read this along with her other stories. Her and Clive have a lovely well rounded family I look forward to ore stories Amanda when you have the time. A big Thank ////you.

[Mrs Linda Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I love to read about Amanda, Clive and the Owen family and of course Ravenseat Farm, I loved reading about Clemmy’s Christmas present it made me laugh and I read it to my Husband he thought it was funny too, thank you Amanda for sharing your life, I look forward to the next book

[Dee Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The daily life of a Yorkshire Shepherdess high up on the Yorkshire Moors is never boring, there is always something or someone who needs her attention. You are drawn into her life with husband and children and of course the sheep and other animals on the farm.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to reading more x

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring Amanda

I like the way Amanda gives each child a mention,her honesty, humorous anecdotes, descriptions of countryside making one feel present with her. She makes light of the human strength,physical and mental, that is necessary to be a mother of nine, farmer caring for livestock, wife, author and star of her own TV show. Well done Amanda.

[Sabine]

This is the latest book of the Yorkshire Shepherdess, Amanda Owen, based on her columns in the Yorkshire monthly magazine ‘The Dalesman.’
Very good stories, expressive, charming and written with love and knowledge of Yorkshire!
One of her best.
And nice interesting last chapter by the editor of the Dalesman Jo Stokoe!

[Crzy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking to read some akin to Herriot and it was and wasn't. The perspectives alone of a vet vs a farmer made it something else, but it does have the wry wit and sweetness that he has set as the tone of the Yorkshire moors. It was insightful to see what modern shepherding looks like in Yorkshire vs how it was in Herriot's day.

[Michael Rumney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays put in monthly order, which cover how to cope with the pandemic on an isolated farm.
Full of amusing tales, problem solving and normal family life, Owen's style is conversational and to the point.
The book was a little too short and it seemed to be over in a flash. But you can hear the author's voice throughout.

[Tammi Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a breath of fresh air with its simplicity of beautiful writing and descriptions of life on a sheep and cow farm in the Dales of Yorkshire. It is not sugar coated. There was no depreciation of the hard work and sorrows that come with maintaining a farm such as this, but there was also no lack of contentment in the daily life of it all.

[Jayne Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading about Amanda and her brood on their farm. This book, albeit short, shows a slightly more developed writing style than her previous works. There is nothing much new if you have watched her TV programme, but a comfort to read nonetheless and I even cried at one point

[dennis Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Amanda Owen and her lovely family. This book was over too quickly. I feel as though I know Amanda and Clive and have ordered “The Dalesman “ to keep up with all their antics. Note to John Stokoe don’t forget Amanda’s raise!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy The Farm on TV and this is the second book I've read by Amanda Owen. It's based on articles that she has written for The Dalesman. An easy read and funny in parts about the day to day life on the farm.