The stories of a young veterinarian making his way in the rugged English countryside?and of the people and animals he met along the way? In the rolling dales of Yorkshire, a simple, rural region of northern England, a young veterinarian from Sunderland joins a new practice. A stranger in a strange land, he must quickly learn the odd dialect and humorous ways of the locals, master outdated equipment, and do his best to mend, treat, and heal pets and...

In the midst of World War II, the Yorkshire veterinarian muses on past adventures through the Yorkshire dales, visiting with old friends and introducing scores of new characters--both human and animal.

Nobody knows why a stray cat keeps sneaking away from his new home until he begins turning up at social events all over the village.

Descriptions of the experiences of a rural veterinarian are accompanied by portraits of life in Yorkshire

Fresh out of Glasgow Veterinary College, James Herriot ... follows his dream to become a vet in the magnificent Yorkshire Dales. He soon discovers that treating the animals is as much about treating their owners, and the Dales' farmers are a tough crowd to please. At Skeldale House James gets to know his newly formed dysfunctional family; his chaotic and erratic boss Siegfried Farnon ... his wayward brother Tristan ... and the shrewd housekeeper Mrs....

It's the spring of 1939. Big changes are happening at Skeldale House and everyone has to learn how to adjust. Tristan is now a qualified vet while James enters a new stage of his life with Helen and at the practice.

It's Spring 1940 and with Europe at war, the community in Darrowby are pulling together more than ever before. With Tristan away serving, Siegfried and James bring in some extra hands to help around the practice: highly efficient bookkeeper Miss Harbottle, and student vet Richard Carmody.