The Domesday Cows

Who could resist a book with the title The Domesday Cows?  Coupled with being written by Iszi Lawrence, whose books I have enjoyed in the past, this was an irresistible draw for me.

This is a story about the culture clash between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans. Billed as a comedy, this is a romp through the early days of the Norman Invasion and how it impacted the Anglo-Saxon people already living in England (and Wales). It is full of historical details, all cleverly disguised as a funny story. The fact that deer, for example, were no longer permitted to be killed as they belonged to the Normans is all wrapped up in an episode where a deer behaves incredibly stupidly, and the villagers can do nothing about it. I also did not realise the Normans brought rabbits into the country.

The amusing illustrations by Davide Ortu start each chapter with a hint of what is to come, and the tiptoeing cows are very funny. There is a lot to unpack in what seems like a simple book.