ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

It was a great surprise, the sizeable success of Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small (1972) -- the memoirs of the early training and practice of a Yorkshire vet. This sequel carries Herriot's saga of calipers and syringe from his partnership with crusty vet Siegfried, and his marriage, to his call-up for WWII -- and it has the same sunny appeal. Again Herriot remembers case after case -- lambing ewes or calving cows, equine patients galloping off in the distance, pet dogs and cats and even a budgie. Nearly all the sweaty dramas have a happy ending. Wretched or expiring animals in barns or surgery, wisecracking farmers and tearful owners await the moment when Herriot has that lucky break, that happy hunch, or gives a just right twist with soapy arms -- and the animal struggles to its feet while Herriot shares its pleasure and relief. There are affectionate human portraits, too, including that of a gourmandizing small animal surgeon who immobilizes Herriot with food and drink after a successful operation. And there's that Yorkshire countryside where farmers take long steps and are apt to make nowt out of summat. A Book-of-the-Month Club Special Fall Selection -- and a sure thing.