Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Chief Shepherdess

  • Lessons in Life, Love and Farming
  • By: Zoe Colville
  • Narrated by: Zoe Colville
  • Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (29 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Chief Shepherdess cover art

The Chief Shepherdess

By: Zoe Colville
Narrated by: Zoe Colville
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Call Me Red cover art
The Farmer's Wife cover art
My Farming Life cover art
One Girl and Her Dogs cover art
Make Hay While the Sun Shines cover art
Rooted cover art
What the Flock! cover art
Fletchers on the Farm cover art
Our Wild Farming Life: Adventures on a Scottish Highland Croft cover art
The Patchwork Family cover art
Village Vets cover art
Britain According to Kaleb cover art
A Year on Our Farm cover art
The Highland Vet cover art
Springtime at Cannon Hall Farm cover art
Murder on the Farm cover art

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

"I grab the motionless lamb, which is frighteningly slippery, and scramble on my feet, swinging its little body around to help it breathe. I see its chest move, then it sneezes and starts breathing. It's stunned by its delivery experience. As am I. I'm high on adrenaline. Tears are streaming down my face. I pop the lamb down on the ground and start frantically rubbing its tiny body... Looking back, I can see that this was one of the first moments of questioning whether I'm truly cut out for farming and realising that the answer might be...yes"

Zoë Colville spent years in a fancy hair salon with a long list of clients, living on cigarettes, croissants, and a shoestring. It was everything she'd ever wanted. But when an unexpected and overwhelming loss caused her life to shift unexpectedly, she found herself on a different path. One where the only use for a hairdryer is warming new-born lambs; where the cycle of life on a farm gives new meaning on purpose, and where nature is both a strict teacher and a balm to soothe the pressures of everyday life.

Alongside her long-term boyfriend, Zoë is now a full-time farmer, business owner and activist. In this memoir, she speaks vivaciously, humourously, and candidly about the lessons learned along the way, from mental health, social media and identity to surviving as an entrepreneur in a shifting economy. And through those lessons - in love, loss, and lambing - discovering something even more important: that it's always the right time to take a bold step and try something new.

©2023 Zoe Colville (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A new breed of shepherdess blazing a trail across social media, challenging outdated ideas about the job and capturing the public's imagination along the way." (Daily Mail)

"The shepherdess whose flock you definitely need to follow." (Hello!)

What listeners say about The Chief Shepherdess

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

funny, happy, sad, inspiring. lovely read. realistic to farm life and hopefully will help educate

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It's a love story

I've followed Zoe on Instagram for some time, and the book is a great extension of the truth telling, real life farming ups & downs you see on that account. What I didn't realise was how emotional it would be. It''s really a love story. The growing love of the farming world, the love of family, a partner and love of self.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Spectacular Spectacular!

This is one of the best book's I have listened to in a long time! Well done Zoe Colville, you absolute legend! So refreshing to listen to someone who is so incredibly real!! Bravo!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a fantastic listen

Real, honest, laugh out load funny and tear jerkingly sad. Completely gripped from start to finish. A wonderful listen .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!!!!

Great book to listen to.
Very emotional when Zoe talked about her dad.
moments when I found myself laughing out loud on the train.
You achieved so much in the last few years.
well done

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

I really enjoyed this so much and found it to be really refreshing, I thoroughly loved every minute and found my self both laughing and crying during this! An absolute stellar book narrated fantastically also! Deffo crossing my fingers for another in the future!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

raw & honest. everything I wanted it to be and mor

Zoe this book is simply stunning, your words flow perfectly, it is raw and honest and I loved every second of it. it was do much more than I wanted it to be. thank you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic read!

This book has a bit of everything, fascinating insights into the life of a farmer, life, death and a love story. I wasn't expecting to be laughing one minute then crying the next listening to Zoe talk about her Dad. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to listen to this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

This was well worth the purchase. It was written so well and I really enjoyed listening to it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well written

no holds barred story of life as a Shepardess. love how Zoe doesn't gloss over how hard, but rewarding a farmers life is.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!