Customer Reviews

Peace at Heart: An Oregon Country Life

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Barbara Drake has written a sweet and lovely word-picture of her life on the Oregon farm she shares with her husband and their motley group of animals. Although she writes with a tender love for her land, and all that is on it, it is never saccharine, and is actually quite informative for anyone thinking of undertaking this type of lifestyle change.The book is written as a collection of brilliant essays,each filled with pathos,tenderness,and a deep understanding of the dramatic lifestyle changes involved in delving into farming.We meet, and learn to love, her sheep, geese, the sheepherding dogs,and the colorful neighbors. And even her warm and adoring father,who has an especially hilarious relationship with the hugely protective gander who patrols the gaggle of geese on the property, becomes someone you wish you could have met in person. This is one of those truly magical reads that leaves you with an afterglow of satisfaction after it's done. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the beauty and the magic of nature, the relationship of animal friends, the satisfaction of self-reliance and independence, or just someone who loves simply-beautiful prose. Barbara Drake is a poet at heart.

I usually read books like this once, then trade them in. But this is a "keeper" to be read again and again.

It works on many levels and for many people. First, if you've ever thought about moving to the country, it is full of solid information on everything from wells to livestock. But it's also so full of humor and sensitivity, a true love of nature and an adventurous spirit that it makes great reading even if you're a metropolitan-ite.

The book had particular appeal to me since the author lives, and wrote about, an area not far from my home; one of my favorite places (Yamhill county, Oregon). If only she'd sell her farm to me!

Drake's book is warm and touching but never mushy. She uses her words with economy to create vivid images that strike the eye, and the mind. I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book. Filled with positive images, and insights that are surprising and touching, it's a great read, I couldn't put it down.

If you've ever wanted to just forget city life and pack up and move to the country, read this book. It's a great collection of non-fiction writing about Drake's life in rural wine country, raising sheep and making wine.

I actually found the brutal honesty to be refreshing. I am a vegetarian urban dweller with the pipe dream of leaving the city and having a farm. On a "I'm going to leave the mayhem of the city and raise my own vegetables and have farm animals" kick I ordered about 6 books on Amazon all on either sheep farming or people who did a life change and started a farm. The guise of happy farmer john is really torn down, not in a depressing way, but in a honest life isn't always a fairy tale way. Its the farming reality, things have a purpose - and more importantly for most farmers, animals are producers. Very few can run a successful farm for pleasure if nothing is harvested or slaughtered. Even something as innocent as a dairy ( vs maybe a pig farm) needs to be able to slaughter or its going to go broke. You need to have lactating cows for milk and you get milk when you have calves. Calves in turn would drink the milk resulting in no profit, so you sell the calves once they are weaned off of a milk replacement to slaughter for veal or you have someone "finish" them on grass until they are slaughtered in a year or so. Back to the book, i think that it was very well written and its an easy read. You can pick it up, open to any page, and jump right back in. I highly recommend it.

This book has been, with about five other books, on my nightstand for the last few months. Love it.

I ordered this book based on the positive reviews, and it was just delivered to me today.

As I was breezing cursorily through it, I came to a description of the author's lambs being taken away for slaughter.

Guess I was expecting a wonderful book of heart such as "Enslaved by Ducks" by Bob Tarte, where he and his wife, Linda, love their pets (at last count, in "Fowl Weather", the sequel, being 37 I believe), and deeply mourn when they experience the loss of them due to death.

So this book is not for anyone expecting a totally loving tale. I personally could not find "Peace at Heart" while raising lambs for slaughter.

Anyway, just a warning for those of you whom this might bother or disturb. It is probably very well written, but I personally will spare myself sorrowful feelings by not reading it.

Possibly the worst written book I have ever read. Rambling on and on about things the reader couldn't care less about!