All Things Bright and Beautiful

The book is made up of short, self-contained episodes, each built around a case: a difficult calving on a freezing hillside at night, a pampered pet whose owner spoils it with rich food, a farmer convinced that old remedies work better than modern medicine. Herriot describes the hard physical work of a country vet with honesty and humour, and he never hides his own mistakes or embarrassments.

Siegfried's quick changes of mood and Tristan's cheerful idleness provide much of the comedy, while the farming families of the Dales, proud, stubborn and often generous, give the stories their heart. There are moments of sadness, when animals cannot be saved, but they are handled with tenderness. The descriptions of the high, open landscape of the Dales are among the most beautiful passages in the book. The author's real name was Alf Wight, and the stories draw on his own working life.

Warm, funny and deeply comforting, the second volume of Herriot's memoirs in the American editions. Readers who enjoyed All Creatures Great and Small will find the same charm here, and the book is perfect for reading a chapter at a time. About 384 pages in the St. Martin's Griffin paperback.