For fans of The Shepherd’s Life, a poignant memoir—and #1 Irish bestseller—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.

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.

Farming has been in John Connell's family for generations, but he never intended to follow in his father's footsteps. Until, one winter, he finds himself back on the farm and begins to learn the ways of the farmer and the way of the cows. Connell records the hypnotic rhythm of the farming day - cleaning the outhouses, milking the herd, tending to sickly lambs, helping the cows give birth. But 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 depression takes hold, when an argument erupts and things are said that cannot be unsaid. The Cow Book is the story of a calving season. It is also the story of the cow itself, from its domestication and worship as a God by the Ancient Egyptians to the modern practice of mechanized herds, via the figure of the cowboy, the destruction of the American buffalo, the demise of the aboriginal jackaroos and the consequences of BSE. And, above all, it is the story of Connell's life as a farmer, of his relationship with his birthplace of County Longford, with the community around the family farm, with the animals he tends, and with his father.

This is an epic novel. The Midwest has turmoil. A woman is raped. A wagon train is formed, and they venture to the southeast. A mixed child is born on the way. He is adopted by a segregationist, Norman Barnes, the leader. Many adventures occur on train. They arrive in Georgia, and set up a farm. It is a farmer community. Many changes occur. The mixed child is raised as white. Five generations are included. White and black are partners. Generations live and die. Ray, the fifth generation, plays football for Georgia and plays Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

In this story, readers get to visit local farmers, fill baskets with fresh fruits and vegetables, and then head home to cook a feast, all with goodies from the farmers' market! Featuring Stefan Page's graphic art, this delightful ebook is filled with bold splashes of color and unique patterns. Plus, this is a fixed-format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.

All Wade Reed wanted to do was make it to his brother, Cole's parole hearing at Corcoran State Prison. But the forty year old environmental planner from LA, never made it. With a bad navigation system and the infamous Tule fog, Wade ended up on a road to nowhere, his BMW stuck in the mud. His gas tank running low, no phone reception, Wade couldn't think of a worse scenario. Until...headlights appeared through the gloom. Twenty-two year old Ayden Solomon worked with his three brothers and father on the almond orchard in the Great Central Valley. Ayden, being the youngest, and prettiest, was constantly the source of amusement for his brothers' teasing and put up with it, but grew weary of the bullying. At night, when he was alone in his room, Ayden drew superhero comics, a dynamic duo who he imagined would save the world from bullies...bullies who attacked men like him. Gay men. After unsuccessfully trying to pull Wade's car out of the ditch, and getting himself stuck as well, the two strangers spend the night in Ayden's truck, keeping warm, talking, bonding, and sharing things with each other; personal things. Ayden and Wade, although had nothing in common, got to know each other on a very deep level in the eight hours they were sitting in the dense fog, alone and completely isolated. What had begun as a frustrating trip for Wade, had turned into a gay erotic fantasy with a young stud. But neither man could imagine what would come next, when the city slicker met...The Farmer's Son.

Much is known of life during the Han Empire, but the historical evidence remains fragmentary, and nowhere do we find a continuous account of the life of any one individual. In this engaging volume, Michael Loewe mines the written and material records to depict the imagined life of an ordinary person, Bing Wu, from the hardships of his earliest years on a rural farm to his retirement from a respected position in government service. Underlying the tale of Bing is a richly detailed portrait of life during the Han--the arduous tasks of the conscript laborer; military service on the defense lines of the north; the travels of a merchant; the grueling conditions in an iron foundry; the construction of tombs; preparations for entering the civil service; the duties of a junior clerk and the governing of a commandery. Along the way, we are introduced to the operation of a crossbow; methods of telling time; the practice of writing; the rituals of divination; the ceremony of a state occasion, laws and the harsh consequences of breaking them; the workings of the central government and much more. Included are a concise introduction, explanatory endnotes to each chapter, a selection of illustrations, a map of the Han Empire, notes for further reading and an essay by Loewe entitled, "A Brief History of the Han Empire."