‘Making do’ and ‘making-with’: A politics of compassion in the English countryside
Renewal - ISSN 0968-5211
Volume 29 Number 3 (2021)
‘Making do’ and ‘making-with’: A politics of compassion in the English countryside
Alex Darby pages 52-55
Abstract
James Rebanks’ second book, English Pastoral, tells the story of three generations of farmers: himself, his father and his grandfather. It comes at a critical juncture for farming, which is torn between efforts to continually drive costs down while feeding ever more mouths, and an obligation to protect our vulnerable environment. Rebanks’ voice helps to bridge the separation that many in the developed West feel towards the ‘vital [agricultural] processes that sustain us’, and outlines an alternative path that balances the harsh realities that modern farmers face with a compassionate call to care for our natural world.
To cite this article
Alex Darby (2021) ‘Making do’ and ‘making-with’: A politics of compassion in the English countryside, Renewal, 29(3), 52-55