’Til The Cows Come Home by Dr. Tod Collins

’Til The Cows Come Home by Dr. Tod Collins is a charming and highly readable collection of South African short stories drawn from the author’s experiences as a country veterinarian, mountaineer, and observer of rural life in the Underberg and Drakensberg regions of KwaZulu-Natal. Published by Triple Creek Publishing in 2011, this paperback captures the humour, hardship, eccentricity, and humanity of farming communities and remote mountain settlements in South Africa.

Tod Collins writes with authenticity and warmth, bringing to life cattle farmers, mountain wanderers, livestock thieves, rural families, and the unforgettable personalities encountered during years of veterinary practice in the countryside. The stories range from humorous negotiations over veterinary fees to poignant reflections on illness, death, survival, and the deep connection between people and animals in isolated farming districts. Collins also weaves in themes of conservation, birdlife, mountain travel, and the rugged realities of country living.

’Til The Cows Come Home is particularly appealing to readers interested in KwaZulu-Natal history, rural South African memoirs, farming culture, veterinary anecdotes, and local storytelling traditions. Its conversational writing style and distinctly South African character make it an enjoyable bedside read and an increasingly collectible regional publication, especially for readers with ties to the Midlands, Underberg, Himeville, or the Drakensberg.

’Til The Cows Come Home makes a wonderful addition to collections focusing on Africana, South African country life, veterinary memoirs, or regional KwaZulu-Natal literature.

Condition – Very Good 

2011 paperback edition in very good condition overall. Covers remain clean and presentable with light shelf wear. Internally clean and tightly bound. Prior ownership sticker present on the endpapers, with a prior ownership inscription in ink on the inner cover. A well-preserved reading copy.