📖 Book Review ~ Celebrating All Creatures Great and Small : For the Love of the Yorkshire Dales written by James Steen

 

Michael O’Mara Books
17 December  2024

Thanks to the publisher and Alison Menzies for my copy of this book

Featuring hundreds of spectacular shots from all four series, plus an in-depth look at the characters and real-life inspiration for the show, this book tells the fascinating story of the programme’s main character : the Yorkshire Dales.

Packed full of heartwarming photographs of the landscape, the set and the characters, as well as soundbites from the cast, this is everything you need to know about James and Helen Herriot, the beloved setting of Skeldale House and, of course, the animals.

Lavish, celebratory and richly detailed, this is an unmissable and sumptuous guide to All Creatures Great & Small, which showcases how Darrowby and its inhabitants have paid homage to such an incredible heritage. The perfect book for anyone with an interest in the Yorkshire Dales and James Herriot.

Foreword written by Rosie Page, James Herriot’s daughter.

📖 My Review..

I’m old enough to remember the original series of All Great and Small and living in Yorkshire at the time I had various spin off touristy type books which I used to explore the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. It was such a treat therefore when Channel 5 decided, in 2020, to launch a new adaptation of the books which were originally published by James Herriot, pen name of vet Alf Wight, in the 1970s. Whilst this new version is different from the original stories it still has all the charm of the original TV series, which ran from 1978 to 1990. With a new cast and sumptuous production, the charming tales of life in a country veterinary practice were once again brought to life and set to charm a new generation of fans by showcasing the beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside.

Having watched all five of the Channel 5 series I consider myself to be something of a fan as not only have I thoroughly enjoyed this latest production but to have this official companion has been a real treat to read. With its beautiful glossy pages and stunning photographs it is definitely a book to treasure and re-read. Nicely divided into five distinct sections we are whisked away to the fictional village of Darrowby and meet those well loved characters who call this lovely place ‘home’. With lots of background information about the making of the series and vignettes of the cast there is a sense that this is a close knit community of talented people who really care about what they are producing and it shows in the popularity of the series which continues to grow and grow.

Just as James Herriot’s original novels were a love story to the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and its people so this companion book is a love story to the TV series and to all the talented cast, including the animals, and amazing crew who bring All Creatures Great and Small to life in such glorious detail. 

If you’re  a fan of the series as I am or if you love the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, then treat yourself  by pre-ordering this lovely book in time for Christmas, and then just sit back, read and enjoy.

X @OMARABOOKS #AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall

📖 Book Review ~ A Woman's Courage by S. Block

 

Bonnier Zaffre
2020

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

In the midst of World War II, the members of one village WI fight harder than ever to help the war effort. But behind closed doors, each is fighting a more personal battle.

Pat Simms is reeling from her own role in her abusive husband's death, and the new freedom before her is daunting. Sarah Collingborne is struggling with the absence of her husband, who is stranded in a POW camp abroad, and trying her best to fill his treasured place in the village.

Meanwhile, Teresa Lucas is anxious about her future as a parent, and her friend Alison Scotlock is on the verge of starting a new relationship. And Miriam Brindsley's good luck might be about to change...

Grieving for men already lost and anxious for those still away fighting, the women of Great Paxford must rely on each other. Amidst the complexities of broken relationships, loss and friendship, this group of very different women must work together to find a way through.

📖 My Thoughts..

Those who watched the ITV drama, Home Fires, will recognise the setting for this historical saga which follows the fortunes of a group of women who are left to keep the home fires burning in the village of Great Paxford, in Cheshire, during WW2. This is the third book in the series which picks up directly after book two, so if you haven't watched the TV series, or read any of the books, then it would be sensible to start at the beginning.

Great Paxford is still reeling from the effects of the war but the villagers themselves are facing their own personal tragedies which the author describes in such an interesting way that you can't help but be moved emotionally by their individual stories of loss and heartbreak. The spirit of togetherness is very much in evidence and the author does a great job of keeping the wartime theme of make do and mend very much alive. 

A Woman's Courage is a lovely historical saga, and having watched, and enjoyed, the TV series I had the characters firmly fixed in my mind. This continuation has been rather like meeting up with old friends, and acquaintances, some of whom you like more than others, but all of them add an interesting dimension to the story. I was rather disappointed when ITV failed to commission a further series back in 2015, but am heartened that the story continues and is written so well by the scriptwriter in these heartwarming historical sagas.

 

About the Author

Simon Block is a screenwriter, producer and writer best known for his work on The Physician as a key writer. Block is also known for his work on the Julie Summers inspired ITV series Home Fires as the main writer.

Twitter @ZaffreBooks #Historical Fiction

Review ~ Cold Feet : The Lost Years by Carmel Harrington

** Publication Day **

Hodder & Stoughton
7 September
2017

THE LOST YEARS reveals what happened to your favourite characters between series five and six of the award-winning TV series written by Mike Bullen. It's an irresistible chance to catch up on all the laughter, the tears, the life lessons we missed while they were gone.

My thoughts about the book..

Well, first off, it must be said that I am huge fan of Cold Feet and felt bereft when the original series ended, leaving so much left unsaid, and so much still to be revealed, which is why this book really works as it fills us in on the events which happened during the lost years when these well loved characters were missing from our TV screens.

I must admit to feeling a smidgen of trepidation as I opened this book as I so much wanted for it to blend seamlessly and for the characters to still have that delicious quirkiness about them which I had grown to love so much from watching them on screen. I wasn't disappointed, the author has captured the essence of the characters so very well that they appear uninterrupted in the imagination and continue as if there had never been any sort of lull in the story. As always, the characters made me laugh out loud and yet, they also made me a little bit sad, but such is the nature of the Cold Feet phenomenon, there's always a clever mix of light and shade which is continued in this novel.

I think that the author has been really brave for taking on such a massive task as I am sure there are some Cold Feet purists who would argue that the action will always work better on television but, for me, the novel worked really well as not only did it give an added dimension to the story, but also allowed me a privileged glimpse into the past as I went back in time to the lost years.

More about the Author can be found on her website by clicking here

Find on Twitter @HappyMrsh

The seventh series of Cold Feet returns to ITV1 on Friday 8th September at 9pm

My thanks to Veronique at Hodder & Stoughton for my review copy of Cold Feet: The Lost Years

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