Rooted

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING

'An honest look at the farming life today. Raw, earthy and inspiring' - Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment

'A beautifully written, incredibly timely book' - Clover Stroud, author of My Wild and Sleepless Nights

When barrister and author Sarah Langford left her city life behind she found herself unexpectedly back in the world of farming. It was not how she remembered. Instead, she saw farmers dealing with very different problems to those faced by her grandfather, considered a hero for having fed a starving nation after war. Now farmers faced accusations of ecological mismanagement by a hostile urban media whilst battling extreme weather and political upheaval. Yet as Sarah learned how to farm and grew closer to the land, she discovered a new generation on a path of regenerative change.

In Rooted, Sarah weaves her own story around those who taught her what it means to be a farmer. She shines a light on the human side of modern farming, and shows how land connects us all, not only in terms of global sustainability but in our relationships with our physical and mental health, our communities and our planet.

'Moving, startling, uplifting, galvanising and unsettling, this plainly beautiful book is one of those rare few that changes how you see the world around you' - Ella Risbridger, author of The Year of Miracles

'Heartbreaking and hopeful, this story of a farming revival has never been more important' - Esther Freud

Reviews

Where Rooted ploughs its own shining furrow in its humanity ... but also the gathered, inspirational stories of farmers trying to do better and greener.