Heart of a Shepherd

One of the best books I've read.

"Heart of a Shepherd" gets to the heart of a twelve-year old boy's struggle of needing to be a man in a boy's body. When his dad and their community of dads are called to war, and his own brothers are called away to do 'what they must do,' "Brother" must keep the ranch going. He could handle the chores, if they didn't include suffering or blood, but what ranch doesn't have animals that bleed?

An excellent read, made better by our own boys' experience of a dad gone to war. Thank you.

Very sweet story of a 12 year-old boy figuring out what it means to be a man when his dad's unit is called up to deploy to Iraq. Met the author at NCTE in November--very nice woman who understands the complexities of being closely tied to the military. Loved it. Kleenex alert: I cried the last 15 pages.

Ignatius (everyone calls him "Brother") is the youngest of five boys and the only one left at home when his dad is called to fight in Iraq. He must help his grandfather keep up the ranch - tough work for any kid, but especially for Brother who has never felt called to the ranching life. As Brother gets through the year without his dad, he'll start looking for his own path in life. This is a quietly powerful novel with a striking sense of place. Parry paints a perfect picture of the harsh beauty of rural Oregon, just as she paints a perfect picture of family members scattered to the winds but still caring deeply about one another. I'd try it on fans of Bridge to Terabithia and When the Whistle Blows.

Brother is the youngest boy in a family with a military history. While his father is deployed to Iraq and his older brothers are away in school or the military, Brother strives to be the man he wants to be, helping his grandparents run the ranch so when his father returns everything will still be in order. Brother is a good, good boy, devoted to his family and values of hard work. On the surface this is a quiet story, but kids will identify with Brother's struggles and be intrigued by the details of ranch living. The author excellently brings to life the ambience of rugged, rural Oregon and the values of a ranching family.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book, especially since there is a religious undertone to it and I don't typically enjoy having religion be a part of what I am reading when it comes to fiction. The author did a stunning job of capturing the characters in relationship with their various beliefs (the grandparents are of different religious backgrounds) and simply making it a part of them rather than what they are made of, if that makes any sense.The main part of this coming of age story is the deployment of the main character's father. The entire town is made up of military families and it is expected that you will join the military or become a rancher when you are old enough. The boy has lived with his father and his grandparents since his mother moved away,and with his older brothers off in school he will now be the only one left to help his grandparents care for the ranch. He tries his best to take on his father's role, but it isn't easy for him. By the end of the book all of his experiences have helped him realize who it is he was meant to be.I imagine this is a helpful and meaningful book for any child whose parent is deployed as it deals with both the time apart and the changes that go through a soldier once they have returned to civilian life after combat. It is also an excellent look at families and relationships.

I really hate that cover. A short and gentle read covering topics from families to military deployment to religion to loss and of course nature.

I've always wondered what it would be like to live on a ranch in Eastern Oregon. This was a realistic depiction of how strong folks there need to be. Brother has to bear extra responsibilites on the ranch when his dad is sent to Iraq and his brothers are away at school. This has a strong emphasis on faith without being judgmental or preachy. I really liked this book.

A very timely topic that children of military families will appreciate. Yet, I was disappointed and found it confusing. The writing could have been clearer and the author tried to cover to many bases, epecially in the religion area.

Such an unusual story. Usually a book will have a military backdrop or a ranching backdrop. This has both. Communities can be multi-focused as can people. There were strong military women who cared deeply for their families. Wonderfully written. My favorite of the Caudills this year.

This was a truly sweet and wonderful book about a 12 year old boy whose father is serving in Iraq. The youngest of 5 brothers, he is left behind with his grandparents to take care of the family ranch. Everyone he knows has a family member in the service, most under his father, a Colonel in the Army Reserve. This book made me both laugh and cry, and find a deep connection with Brother.