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Title details for Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry - Available

Heart of a Shepherd

by Rosanne Parry
Kirby Heyborne
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
From acclaimed author of A Wolf Called Wander, Rosanne Parry welcomes readers into the Heartland in this tender coming-of-age story.
When Brother's dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He’s determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father’s safe return. The hardships Brother faces will not only change the ranch, but also reveal his true calling.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    January 27, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780739380178
      • File size: 106807 KB
      • Duration: 03:42:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 5.2
    • Lexile® Measure: 850
    • Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
    • Text Difficulty: 4-5

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Ignatius, called Brother, promises to take care of his family's Oregon ranch with his aged grandparents while his father is deployed to Iraq for 14 months. Kirby Heyborne strongly relays Brother's growing awareness that he's a boy trying to do a man's job. Throughout the long year, no matter what he is doing, from raising orphaned lambs to surviving a prairie fire, Brother misses his father and prays for his safe return. Heyborne narrates primarily in Brother's youthful voice but also gives other characters distinctive voices--from the deep voice of Brother's Quaker grandfather to the lilting Irish brogue of his loving grandmother. Brother's day-to-day life on the ranch and his deep connection to the Catholic Church are recounted in this coming-of-age story, which is made immediately accessible with Heyborne's slow and evenly paced narration. L.A.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 26, 2009
      In Parry's debut novel, 11-year-old Brother (his given name is Ignatius: "Guess they ran out of all the good saints by the time they got to me") helps manage his family's Oregon ranch. With his father in Iraq, his four older brothers at school or in the military, and his mother painting abroad, caring for family's livestock falls to Brother, his grandparents and some hired help. Though he is eager to prove to his siblings, grandparents and most importantly, his father, that he can handle it, Brother nonetheless struggles with the rigors of the job, his father's and brothers' absence and the stress of war ("I could never do it.... I could never take those salutes and the 'yes, sirs' and then take moms and dads into danger"). Slowly, Brother fills the shoes of his elders and realizes his own calling when he is literally tested by fire. Brother's spiritual growth and gentle but strong nature, in tandem with details of ranch life and the backdrop of war, add up to a powerful, unique coming-of-age story. Ages 8-12.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.2
  • Lexile® Measure:850
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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