"Countrywomen" - Tapa blanda

Tied to a BBC television series of the same name, this book focuses on six women who have infiltrated outdoor jobs in the countryside which are still widely considered to be the domain of men. It follows a year in the life of a nun who carves out an existence in one of the most remote and inhospitable parts of the British Isles; of a shepherdess who won television's "One Man and His Dog" in 1990; of a Dorset gamekeeper; of a gillie who caught her first fish a the age of four; of a stalker and estate owner; and of a falconer. These are women who work hard physically, who tend to be self-contained - even solitary - and who have to be enormously self-sufficient. They also have to prove themselves, not only in front of their male counterparts but also in the eyes of other women in the area. With stories of their trials and tribulations, and of awkward characters who live alongside them, the book is an insight into country life and of the struggle to make a mark in traditionally male pursuits. The author, who runs the British School of Falconry, is the falconer featured in the book.