Preview
  • The Farmer's Son

  • Calving Season on a Family Farm
  • By: John Connell
  • Narrated by: Alan Smyth
  • Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (40 ratings)

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The Farmer's Son

By: John Connell
Narrated by: Alan Smyth
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Publisher's summary

For fans of The Shepherd's Life, a poignant memoir - and number-one Irish best seller - about a wayward son's return home to his family's farm, and how he found a new beginning in an age-old world

Farming has been in John Connell's family for generations, but he never intended to follow in his father's footsteps. Until, one winter, after more than a decade away, he finds himself back on the farm.

Connell records the hypnotic rhythm of the farming day - cleaning the barns, caring for the herd, tending to sickly lambs, helping the cows give birth. Alongside the routine events, there are the unforeseen moments when things go wrong: when a calf fails to thrive, when a sheep goes missing, when illness breaks out, when an argument between father and son erupts and things are said that cannot be unsaid.

The Farmer's Son is the story of a calving season, and the story of a man who emerges from depression to find hope in the place he least expected to find it. It is the story of Connell's life as a farmer, and of his relationship with the community of County Longford, with his faith, with the animals he tends, and, above all, with his father.

©2018 John Connell (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
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What listeners say about The Farmer's Son

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Beautiful.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to.
Obviously, if I used a credit I was hoping to enjoy it, but I learned so many things about farming and it was just a beautifully written book.
I look forward to more work by this author, whether it be fiction or nonfiction.
I believe this is the third book I’ve listen to with this narrator, and he always does a very fine job.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lovely but too dismissive of US cattle farming

The author has knowledge of Canada, Australia and Ireland. Yet, it bothered me intensely that he felt it appropriate to comment, all in negative terms, about US cattle farming practices. He is woefully unfamiliar with the rise of sustainable, organic farming here. It’s seems odd that he often refers to US farming. I think he should stick with what he knows and do some work to purge himself of his anti-American biases.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Ireland’s Cattle Backbone

Jon Connell tells a sweet tale of family, farm and a reflection into oneself in order to grow and appreciate ones station in life. Well Dine!

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    5 out of 5 stars

wondergul and insightful

enjoyed the story very much and learnd a great deal about life on the farm

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A thoughtful accounting of the farm experience

I enjoyed learning of Irish farm experience as it is today as the old transitions onto the modern era. The characters are interesting and I loved the readers brogue. It’s not Herriot but still worth reading.

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A Surprise!f

I didn’t know what to except, it’s some time to find a good read.
Farms, cows, sheep, didn’t raise my interest, yet, Ireland seemed to be a great place to visit. I purchased this book.
O my God what a surprise ! Thank you, Keep the pen in your hand.

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