The Art of Husbandry by Jay Hogan

Narrated by Gary Furlong

The Art of Husbandry is the first book in Jay Hogan’s latest trilogy, Mackenzie Country, set on and around a remote New Zealand sheep station in the Southern Alps. This is a quiet book in many ways, being character rather than plot driven, and there is a lot of emotional baggage to unpack for both protagonists.

Holden Miller is trying to fill his grandfather’s shoes as owner/manager at the family sheep station. He feels unsure and, frankly, doubts his ability to take over, especially since the place isn’t making the profits it needs to. His grandfather has been developing dementia over the past few years which led to him making some irrational decisions about running the station. Now Holden needs to land a lucrative contract to insure they have the income needed to not only pull themselves out of debt, but to allow them to expand their breeding program and secure their future. Holden feels the weight of all those expectations, made worse by the sudden anger and animosity his grandfather has for him, something that Holden’s been keeping from his mom and grandma. And if that isn’t enough, his best friend and sometimes bedmate, Zach, chose this time to tell Holden he’s developed feelings for him, and now Holden has to live with unwittingly hurting his best mate.

Gil Everton is a psychologist whose life went to crap a year earlier when his daughter was killed in a car crash. He’s been unable to drag himself out of the grief, which has been compounded by the break up of his twelve year marriage. In an effort to regain some equilibrium he decides to make a drastic change in his life by taking a sabbatical from his practice and leaving the city. He’s signed up to serve as the domestic manager on Holden’s sheep station while Holden’s mom is away in England.

The strength of this book is in the excellent character development. Jay Hogan has written Holden’s insecurities vividly, making them relatable and believable for the reader. It’s obvious how much he loves the station and his work and how deeply he fears letting his family down, and that fear is making him hesitant to truly step up and take charge. Gil’s grief is equally well written; you can feel the weight of it and the toll it’s taking on him. I especially appreciate the sensitive and accurate way Gil’s PTSD is written and I shed a tear or two when he suffered the nightmares.

Gil and Holden’s immediate attraction to each other is a little insta-lusty for my taste, but I was able to go with it. Both men are aware of the many good reasons they shouldn’t start anything: Gil’s still grieving and his stay is temporary, plus he feels he’s too old and “broken” for Holden (there’s about a decade in age between them). Holden knows he needs to focus on the upcoming muster and landing the wool contract, while also trying to deal with the stress brought on by his granddad’s antagonism. But the heart, and body, want what it wants, and soon enough they take comfort in each other’s company, and beds.

The countryside and the station are vividly described and I was completely captured by the depictions of the beautiful yet unforgiving environment and the hard life on the station. I looked up photos of this part of New Zealand along with the sheep and dogs that populate it so I could picture it as I read. I also enjoyed learning about the work on the station, and reading the description of the close bonds between Holden and his crew, who depend on each other to get them through the arduous work of mustering. The members of Holden’s crew, as well as Zach, Holden’s mom and Gil’s ex-husband, Luke, are all fully three-dimensional characters and add a great deal of depth and realism to the story.

Gary Furlong has always impressed me with his narrations and I went into this expecting an excellent performance as usual; I got that and more. Sometimes a book has all the right elements that allow a narrator’s talents to really shine, and The Art of Husbandry is just such a book for Gary Furlong. He gets a chance to show off his voice acting chops in the very first scene as Zach tries to broach the subject of wanting more from his relationship with Holden. Zach’s hesitance and vulnerability are so well done that my heart ached for him, while Holden’s initial cluelessness and then his shock as he realizes what’s going on make for a very moving scene. Gary’s narration of the scene when Gil’s car is sideswiped while he and his daughter are on the way to a birthday party took my breath away. The excellent narration continues with a moving portrayal of Gil’s raw grief and slow healing, as well as Holden’s efforts to step up as the head of his station and his crew despite his fears of failure. As always, Gary has strong, distinct character voices, even for the secondary cast.

Aside from the insta-lust, The Art of Husbandry is a beautifully written story of two people developing a mature relationship while healing and helping each other. There’s a nice found family quality to it, as well. Gary Furlong’s narration is not to be missed, and I can’t imagine this won’t be on my Best of 2024 Audiobook list.

Carrie