Review | If Only They Could Talk by James Herriot.

My rather rambly thoughts and gushing over the first book in All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot.

I didn’t realise how much I needed to re-read this book until I sat down and flew through the whole thing in only a few short hours, holding the book very carefully so as to prevent further damage to the already worn and tatty spine.

Laughing along with Tristan’s stock keeping antics, feeling uneasy about coming across clients like Soames and Isaac Cranford, and rolling ones eyes in despair at the ball of fluff that is Trikki Woo, fills me with the warming comfort that a roaring fire brings on a cold winter’s night. It’s a refreshing change that teaches everyone about human livelihoods and generosity whilst packaged and sold as tales of animal husbandry in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. James Herriot aka Alf J wright might have been a great vet in his time but it is his talent for effortless writing, engaging storytelling, and vivid charaterisations that put him right at the top of his game.

I look back at some of the semi-autobiographical series or stand-alone books that I’ve read over the years, and this is without a doubt the one that is most deserving of a home on anyone’s bookshelf. Even not just for the stories but the more gentle pace of life that took over the 1930s countryside before it was thrown into the madness of a world war.

I’ll highly recommend this book and series at any possible moment because it is one that deserves to be enjoyed by anyone at any age!

And now I’m off to read the next book in the series!