From high heels to welly boots - one woman's misadventures in becoming a farmer, raising a family and making a living from the land.

Sally Urwin was living in a tiny flat in the city with a high-pressure job. She was depressed, surviving off rescue remedies and wine, and longing for a different life when she met and married farmer Steve.

Returned to the rolling hills of Northumberland, a place she'd adored as a child, Sally imagined herself wafting around High House Farm in floral dresses followed by a bevy of rosy-cheeked children.

The reality is quite different...

Sally is usually wearing a jumper covered in sheep poo and bellowing at Mavis the collie to stop chasing Gladys the grumpy pony and her kids are moaning about being dragged outside while she is caring for a ewe who has ingested a poisonous plant after wandering into the neighbour's field.

But despite the chaos of juggling motherhood with running a farm, financial hardship and dealing with poorly animals, the exhilarating freedom of rural life has helped Sally to heal her own body and mind. Lambing season might be backbreaking, but the utter joy in cradling a new-born lamb is worth all the sweat and tears.

With a mix of grit, humour and the love of family, Sally shows us that it's never too late to live the life you've always dreamed of.

Fans of The Yorkshire Shepherdess will love this hilarious, heartfelt and honest account that will have you howling with laughter and sobbing into your tissues in equal measure.

Read what everyone is saying about What the Flock!:

'I don't know how to tell you how much I loved this book... You just CAN'T go wrong with having the author as narrator.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'I don't even know where to begin!... an amazing memoir that reads like fiction...
you will find yourself being sucked into stories... you will laugh and cry... I couldn't put this book down until I devoured it from start to finish... 1000/10 would read again and again.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'This book was perfect. I loved the honest and wholesome look at life the author provides. It is at sometimes funny and sometimes sad... like talking to a friend.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'I don't know any animal lover that won't enjoy this book... I related to the female farmer talking about her struggles with the corporate world, and I dreamed along with her that I might be capable of farming and loving on animals all day... I cried over the losses that can come with farm life... will keep you entertained, and I'm going to keep rooting for this family to secure their farm's future.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'If Bo Peep met the Durrells, they'd happily live alongside Sally Urwin on her Northumbrian farm. An engaging and very, very funny account of a city girl who became a sheep farmer and traded in everything she thought she knew for a life where the four-legged family members rule.' Freya North

'I loved this... a joy to read... Honest and funny.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'A beautiful memoir and the way she narrates it in this audio book makes it all the more special... I felt as if I was sat at her table having a cuppa as she told me about her life. Stunning book and I will be buying copies for friends.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'I really enjoyed this one... the author is a wonderful storyteller and I enjoyed her humor. I laughed out loud at the stories about Candy, the fat pony.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

About the Author

Sally grew up in Tynemouth in the North East of England and worked for many years at the coal face of financial marketing in London and Newcastle. Eventually she made a break for freedom, married a Northumbrian farmer and threw away all her high heels and handbags for welly boots and waterproofs.


Sally now runs a 150 acre farm with pigs, sheep and ponies, alongside her husband and two children, whilst the farm buildings play host to a brewery, wedding venue and glamping site. Sally spends a lot of time mucking out sheep pens, chatting to farm visitors, chasing lambs and piglets and trying very hard to find the time to sit down and write.

Book Information
ISBN 9781909770775
Author Sally Urwin
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Thread
Publisher Octopus Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 233g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 124mm * 22mm