"A poignant and thought-provoking read described as 'a hymn of love' to author Patrick Laurie's native land."
"What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
Native is described as ‘a hymn of love to his native land’. It’s an apt description for a wonderful book. Native transports the reader to a place and a way of life where Patrick Laurie, although thoroughly occupied running his farm in Galloway, makes the time, to stand, to stare, and to share with us the sights, sounds, smells and richness of his way of life.
From the cry of a lonesome curlew through to the incredible ruggedness of his Galloway cattle, from the warmth of Summer sun to the life-threatening weather of deepest winter, we learn what it is like to live a truly rural life. It’s not easy. The hours are long and the remuneration is minimal, but the rewards – for those who appreciate them – are immense.
A poignant and thought-provoking read, I loved it.
Desperate to connect with his native Galloway, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on his family farm in the hills of southwest Scotland. Investing in the oldest and most traditional breeds of Galloway cattle, the Riggit Galloway, he begins to discover how cows once shaped people, places and nature in this remote and half-hidden place. This traditional breed requires different methods of care from modern farming on an industrial, totally unnatural scale.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
| Recommendations: |
Native is a book for Nature lovers, it's an inspiring read, one to curl up with and just let the day drift by, while you lose yourself in Galloway in the Southwest of Scotland. Loved every single word!
Native opened my eyes to the hardship of farmers, yes I've seen farmers on Country File, but to read from "the horse's mouth" as the saying goes, is something else.
Patrick Laurie, lives in Galloway, in the Southwest of Scotland. He invests the oldest yet most traditional breeds of cows, the beautiful Galloways. His love of the land and the Curlews he adores is strong. How he manages the old ways with the new is inspirational. You can smell the land, feel the wind and hear the storms.... Read Full Review
Patrick Laurie has created a truly wonderful read. You can hear the Curlews as they dart about the glorious landscape, you can breathe the fresh country air & the simplicity of country life is like a cloak around you.
An amazingly refreshing read.
A voyage of discovery, you're transported to a land of peace & tranquillity.
You can envisage the rural landscapes with wild birds & traditional Cattle. A slower pace of life, one that you must be born into to really be able to understand. The meaning of hill farming..it's deep within you & consumes you.
Written with immense feeling, you can feel it, see it, smell it. The love of the Scottish countryside is in abundance & so enjoyable as you turn each page.
This is a love story about a man who is completely at one with his natural surroundings, who craves nothing else, other than his beloved rural life.... Read Full Review
Desperate to connect with his native Galloway, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on his family farm in the hills of southwest Scotland. Investing in the oldest and most traditional breeds of Galloway cattle, the Riggit Galloway, he begins to discover how cows once shaped people, places and nature in this remote and half-hidden place.
Native Life in a Vanishing Landscape features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Recommendations
Hardback. Not Available.
Native Life in a Vanishing Landscape was written by Patrick Laurie and published by Birlinn Ltd an imprint of Birlinn General
Native Life in a Vanishing Landscape has 256 pages
