Book Review: James Herriot

A True Lover of all Animals

By Catherine Groves

On October 3, 1916, James Alfred Wight was born in Sunderland, England. The world now knows him as James Herriot, as he became one of the worlds most beloved writers of all time. 

Having been a veterinarian his entire adult life, Herriot, at the age of 50, began writing and in 1969 published his first book. Sales were slow until he became published in America; the first book was called All Creatures Great and Small. He followed this with All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing, which he finished shortly before his death in 1995. All of his books were bestsellers. 

Herriots books portray his life as a Yorkshire county vet during a time when times were tough, horses were used to farm, and penicillin was not yet discovered. The reader will fall in love with not only James and his furry patients, but also with the two brothers with whom he worked closely his entire life. Siegfred, his somewhat eccentric partner, and Tristan, the dare devil with hilarious charm, enrich the already compelling stories.

Although the books have been in print for decades, they are ageless. Herriots wholesome yet poignant ability to share stories based on truth will move the reader to tears and within the same paragraph bring laughter. The books take us through the journey of Herriots life as he begins practicing in rural England, to his falling in love, going to war, and having kids. He brings the farmers, the farm animals, and the pets to life in a way that makes one understand, even with his literary success; how he stood by he was first and foremost a veterinarian. 

These books are a must read for animal lovers and for those whom lives have already been touched by Herriot in the past, they are the perfect books to be reread, again and again.