Review: Lame Stories from the Vet in Inglewood is anything but lame

Sandra Chesterton with her book, Lame Stories from the Vet in Inglewood. Photo / Alyssa Smith

Review: Lame Stories from the Vet in Inglewood by Sandra Chesterton, reviewed by Ilona Hanne. The book is available from the Inglewood Book Centre and at lamecow.co.nz.

A book about lame cows is anything but lame in content, thanks to an engaging writing style and the ability of the author, Sandra Chesterton, to explain rural and farming terms in simple, easy-to-understand sentences.

Sandra’s book is about the travels she and her husband Neil, an Inglewood vet, have enjoyed over the years through his work as an expert on lame cows.

While the book is written by Sandra, the voice is Neil’s, which does take a few pages to get used to but, once the flow is established, it never drops.

Neil retold the stories of their travels to Sandra, who has turned those words into the book. This style of writing is gentle, making it feel as though you are, perhaps, standing in a Taranaki field listening to Neil recall moments of a life well-travelled.

The downside can be the feeling that some topics are touched on only briefly, such as the fact that the family were in Afghanistan on September 11, 2001, and what the ensuing chaos meant for them. Perhaps it’s not a downside, however, and rather a hint at the potential for another book to come from Sandra and Neil, drawing out this experience, or featuring conversations with some of the friends they made there, with whom the book tells us they are still in contact.

Thanks to Neil and Sandra’s travels, the book has a global feel at times and then suddenly the reader is back in Taranaki, with references to more familiar things, places and events. The Inglewood Vet Services’ first ball, held in 2001 is mentioned, with a beautifully told reminiscence of Neil and Sandra’s dancing lessons as they attended the second ball. That ball is now celebrating 21 years, so it’s a nice slice of local history to come across.

Neil and Sandra Chesterton.

Cows, of course, are one of the stars of this book and Sandra, using Neil’s words, manages to perfectly capture their personality, for want of a better word. They are intelligent too, Neil writes, and with several examples scattered through the book to illustrate his point, it is a convincing statement.

Covering countries as varied as Argentina and Afghanistan, as well as plenty of tales of life in New Zealand, not to mention Britain, Europe and anywhere else you care to think of, the book is an interesting and varied read that feels like something you can dip in and out of rather than have to read in one sitting.

It would make the perfect gift for an armchair traveller, a teenager considering a veterinary career, or perhaps someone working in the dairy industry who would enjoy the reminder that cows do know their humans and judge accordingly. Farmer or city dweller, traveller or Taranaki local, teenager or retired, this book will appeal to all sorts of readers, and even perhaps those who don’t normally pick up a book for relaxation.

Win: The Stratford Press has one copy of the book to give away. To be in to win, simply email editor@stratfordpress.co.nz with “lame cow” in the subject line. Include your name, contact phone number and postal address in the body of your email. Competition closes at noon, Wednesday, November 1 and the winner will be contacted that day.