THE LAMBS

Carole George spent her youth in a house filled with music and books, surrounded by the natural expanses of Montana. Her love of the arts led her into a unique specialization in the legal profession. With her small team of experts in Washington, D.C., she pioneered the field of law related to cross-border charitable giving, advising wealthy individuals, governments and multinational corporations such as Sony, Toyota and Credit Suisse. She founded the journal @lliance for philanthropy and social investment worldwide.

“Just as our own lives matter to us, the life of each individual creature is important to it. We share the same experience of pain and pleasure. As we assume the concerns of others, either in practice or in thought, compassion will flourish within us. In her new book, The Lambs, Carole George shares the fulfillment she has experienced over years tending a flock of sheep. If we lack affection for other creatures, our intellectual superiority becomes meaningless and can even be detrimental. I hope that this book will inspire readers to become more compassionate toward the living beings deprived of the many privileges we humans enjoy.”—His Holiness The Dalai Lama

“This is a thoughtful document that dispels any assumptions that sheep are ‘just dumb farm animals’ who do nothing but follow. The Lambs is an enchanting book. We all know young lambs frolic in the spring fields: Now we learn about the fascinating social life of their elders. Please read this book.”—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace

“Smart, emotional, inquisitive, curious, playful, and loving, these wonderful [lambs], and Carole George’s stories about her life with them, will at once educate, inspire, and surprise you.”—Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder

1. “The Lambs” is a phrase capitalized throughout the memoir. Why do you think the author made this stylistic choice?

2. On page 15, the narrator makes the mistake of telling the breeder she wants to buy lambs as “pets.” By the end of the book, do you think Carole still thinks of The Lambs as her pets?

3. The Lambs, as described by Carole, each have strong and distinctive personalities. Did their descriptions change the way you view sheep? What about farm animals in general?

4. In the photo caption on page 255, Dr. Comyn admits that Bach was “my favorite.” Did you have a favorite lamb? Do you think Carole does?

5. The relationship between Satie and the narrator’s father is particularly touching. Have you experienced an extremely close relationship with an animal in your own life? How has that relationship influenced you?

6. When a guest asks if Carole is planning to “bring in some new lambs” on page 183, she replies that “This experience is perfect as it is. I wouldn’t want to extend it.” In her place, would you have made the same decision?

7. Music clearly has a large influence on this memoir (The Lambs’ names, piano recitals in the barn, etc.), but poetry’s influence is just as strong (“This is poetry. This ground calls for sheep.”). Does one art form shape the story more strongly than the other? Do you think Carole and her father would answer that question differently?

8. Photos play an important role in this book. Are there any that were particularly striking to you?

9. How did the history of The Lambs’ breed, Karakul, contribute to your understanding of The Lambs and of the story?

10. The subtitle is “My Father, a Farm, and the Gift of a Flock of Sheep.” How is Carole’s relationship with The Lambs linked to her relationship with her father? In what way are The Lambs “a gift,” and to whom was the gift given?