‘The Trouble with Goats and Sheep’ by Joanna Cannon

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Part coming-of-age, part mystery, part social commentary, this quirky and charming novel written by a psychologist is comic but also delivers razor sharp insights. Set on a cul-de-sac in Britain circa 1976, there’s an epic heat wave on, which everyone blames for everything, and Mrs. Creasy has disappeared. The story is seen through the eyes of two young girls, Grace and Tilly, who take it upon themselves to find her. In addition they vow to keep everyone else on the street safe, and oh, by the way, they are also looking for God because he’s supposed to be everywhere so surely they’ll find him along the way. Everyone on the street has secrets and the girls are determined to discover the truth.

Grace and Tilly find themselves pondering several existential questions and the adults are no help at all. “They assumed I didn’t understand the conversation, and it was much easier to let them think it. My mother said I was at an awkward age, I didn’t feel especially awkward, so I presumed she meant that it was awkward for them.”

After living on just such a street in England, I found the book hugely entertaining and certainly captured the way Brits are very concerned about keeping up appearances and value privacy, while simultaneously and shamelessly engaging in wicked gossip. Very politely of course. It’s hard sometimes, to tell the sheep from the goats. And to think I almost missed this book!

Funny story. Purchased in England before we moved back to Canada it sat on my shelf unread for years until I finally brought it on a vacation, but then couldn’t get into it. I left it on the shelf of the cottage we rent every year. Then a few months ago a fellow reader suggested I read it, so when I returned to the cottage, it was still there and I picked it up again, and loved it immediately! Go figure!

Just goes to show, that the right book will always find you at the right time and won’t ever blame you for earlier rejections! 🙂

Because it’s quirky, this book may not be for everyone, but I loved this author’s perspective and the alternating wit and wisdom of her writing–so many great sentences and interesting ways of saying things.