All Things Wise and Wonderful. This is the third book feature for James Herriot. I apologize, this took quite a while to come out. I had some things I had to finish. So don't fret, the wait is finally over and here it is.
Like the first two books of James Herriot, this one also contains a lot of enjoyable and hilarious stories on his calls to the farms. What is different this time is the circumstances in Dr. Herriot's life. This time he is married to Helen, as mentioned in All Things Bright and Beautiful. They now live in the top floor of the Skeldale House. Everything is going smoothly with the practice and their domestic life when the boys of Skeldale House got a letter to enlist in the military. Of course, James, Siegfred and Tristan are all loyal citizens, they signed up. James left Helen in Skeldale House and this time she is pregnant with their first child. James was assigned to the RAF (Royal Air Force) and started training. In fact, Helen gave birth to their son with James still in the RAF.
In between rest from strict training and going out to town with his mates, James would miss Helen and remember their experiences and he would often recall them with great pleasure. So, all in all, the book talked about his training in the RAF where some incidents would lead him to remember parallel experiences in Darrowby. Especially, when James' senior officer has it bad for him. His commanding officer seem to hate him. To alleviate his misery and homesickness, he would often reminisce about the comical encounters in the farms and his house calls in Darrowby.
Like all other James Herriot books, this is full of mirth, fun and lots of laughter. Herriot is truly one of a kind in his genre. He made life in the dales and the back-breaking woes of farmers less arduous because of his interesting stories. Aside from the colorful human and animals characters, he also included his memorable experiences in the RAF which were also testament to his high-spirited personality. James Herriot never fails to find humor in all his situations, whether they are bordering on disaster or success. And those who love Tristan like me, you will have more of his disastrous antics. And boy, just so you know, the guy can't cook. He is all beauty and brains but not in the kitchen. But this book isn't just about all humor, there are touching parts too. Just when you thought you can't get enough of the laughter, there are also pages that would make you want to cry. Herriot has his serious side also and you can't help but admire him more.
I pride myself in stumbling upon the first of his books that I got my hands on in a second hand store. It was worth all the stooping and rummaging in the cramped space. Truly, James Herriot's works are a treasure. He never fails to put a little fun in my mundane life. Thank you James Herriot! If heaven allows you to continue to spread good vibes, then by all means do. After all, we all need a little fun and a lot of laughter in our lives. Yes, laughter is still the best medicine.
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