Shepherdess: Notes from the Field [Paperback]

Joan Jarvis Ellison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995

In Shepherdess: Notes from the Field, Ellison tells the story of her journey from research associate and mother to shepherdess. With humor directed mostly at herself, and a growing understanding of sheep behavior and health, Ellison deals with the thorny problems of what to do with too much manure, whether or not to eat your own sheep, and how to find self-respect in a farmyard." Shepherdess: Notes from the Field is funny and sad. You'll learn more about sheep than you ever imagined you'd want to know, and more about life than you knew before you opened the book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ellison's experiences as a neophyte shepherdess have little enough in common with the bucolic mythology of the job. In the first few pages, she's already reciting instructions on how to deal with lambing problems, step two being "wash your hands and arm with soap and warm water"; step three, "lubricate your hand and arm"-you don't want to know the rest. Trained as a biochemist, Ellison left her job to become a full-time mother, but "after ten years of being a nonperson in many social situations... I was ready for a change." As she lived in rural Minnesota, a two hour drive from the nearest university, she opted for a career as shepherdess. Occasionally, Ellison's exclamatory prose veers dangerously towards the gee-whiz ("Bosho the ram was out!"), but more problematic is her tendency to wonder if "an intelligent, well-educated person like me couldn't do a simple task in less than five hours, how did undereducated farmers figure things out?" But for the most part, she is a straightforward guide to lambing and its problems; sheep dung and its problems; and haying and its problems. The hardest chore of all, however, is learning to think of the sheep "as farm animals rather than pets"-crucial when castrating lambs and taking them to market-without losing a sense of what is morally right. In this Ellison succeeds nicely.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ellison put her career in research biochemistry on hold in order to raise two daughters. After 10 years, she wanted to work again but was too out of touch with technology and too attached to her rural home to go back to biochemistry. What to do? She turned her hobby of spinning into a business: sheepherding. These are her memories, advice, and lessons learned from the first seven years of the business, and they're delightful. Ellison's chapters flow sensitively--sometimes exuding a mother's common sense, sometimes McMurtryesque pathos, sometimes gently pointed Bombeckish humor. Undoubtedly this is a great acquisition for rural area libraries, but it's more than a farmer's account. This is inspiration for all women who may be contemplating joining the workforce yet feel unprepared or unsure that what they are interested in could become a fulfilling business. It's thoroughly charming and easy to read, a terrific acquisition for all libraries. Denise Blank

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Purdue University Press (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155753070X
• ISBN-13: 978-1557530707
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pondering making a change to the "simple" life? A must read, December 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Shepherdess: Notes from the Field (Paperback)

As my husband and I were pondering our move from City to Country Life, this book was given to us as a gift, and we found it to be an absolute joy! The short chapters make it amazingly easy to pick up for short reading spurts. Each chapter tells it's own story of Joan's sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening, but always entertaining adventures from biochemist to shepherdess. Her willingness to poke fun at her obvious naivety regarding sheep is refreshing. Everyone we've loaned our book to has found it very entertaining. You'll be amazed at what you learn about sheep! (We now have our own flock of 25 ... be careful!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A humorous, self depreciating tale of transition, August 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Shepherdess: Notes from the Field (Paperback)

Shepherdess is a delightful book that kept me laughing throughout, it reminds me of the James Herriots "All Things Bright and Beautiful." In this true story Joan tells of the transition from research biochemistry to shepherdess with all the changes of image, the loss of romance and the discovery of self. Tis is a great book to read aloud and share the laughter. While there is information that would be helpful for someone looking to make this transition, it' really a good read for everyone.