"Red Dog Farm" | Reviewed by Susan Ferguson

“Red Dog Farm,“ a novel by Nathaniel Ian Miller, is narrated by Orri, a young man who has grown up on a struggling Icelandic cattle farm in western Iceland. Orri is excited about attending university in the city, eager to have new experiences the city offers.

After his first semester Orri returns home to help his father, Pabbi, with calving. This is the first time Pabbi has included and relied on Orri to help with the farm. Orri learns how to calve and cull the herd. He studies all of Pabbi’s intricacies of how to mow, rake, bale, and wrap bales of hay. His experiences help him realize the importance of a dependable tractor and the farm’s dog, Rykug.

Orri begins to appreciate the cattle farm despite its hardships. He also begins to notice the beauty of western Iceland. All of the responsibilities on the farm have Orri second guessing his life choices. Orri loves this new version of his life and decides not to return to university.

While helping on the farm, Orri with the encouragement of childhood friend and neighbor, Runa, decides to scroll the internet looking at various social media sites for possible women to date. He meets Mihan a part-time media student who also works at a hotel. They begin to message daily, then text and then move on to phone calls. Orri eventually travels to the city to see Mihan.

Orri and Mihan’s relationship, like the story, moves slowly, taking its time. One wonders if the slow progress of their relationship mirroring the story line is intentional? It may well be.

“Red Dog Farm” is a coming-of-age novel with Orri falling in love and finally discovering a purpose to his life. It is primarily a story about farming that provides details detail about the harshness of life on an Icelandic cattle farm and its struggles. It also is a story of relationships; father and son, wife and husband, and friends and lovers. The well-developed characters and short chapters will keep readers moving on, despite the book’s slow pace. Enjoy!  

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