bhjrnl

James Herriot’s Yorkshire Stories by James Herriot.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.

I’m a big fan of the new All Creatures Great and Small series, and was pleased when I received this little collection of James Herriot’s short stories as a gift earlier this year.

Herriot’s writing style is deceptively simple, and his love for the landscape and people of Yorkshire comes across in his prose. I was brought up in the neighbouring county of Lancashire, and am almost as familiar with the white rose as I am the red, having spent many days exploring the Yorkshire countryside. Herriot has a remarkable ability to encapsulate a strong sense of place in very few words, and many times I felt I was there with him among the dales and fells.

There’s no doubt a vet’s life can be hard, and many client visits must end in disappointment and sorrow. Thankfully, the stories in this little book all have happy endings. There are ten stories in the collection, each easily read in a spare twenty minutes. The last one, There’s Christmas – and Christmas, is particularly delightful.

I can recommend this book as a great introduction to Herriot’s writing. Those familiar with either the new series or the original will find great pleasure in reading these little tales.