English / Canada
The goat
Fleming, Anne
(text)
Toronto [et al.]: Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press, [2017]. – 155 p.
ISBN 978-155498916-4
New York City | Social anxiety | 9/11
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2018
This quirky, heart-warming novel is probably the only book written from a mountain goat’s point of view – at least in part. Readers also experience New York City through the bashful eyes of girl protagonist Kid, who suffers from social anxiety; through the ears of blind but skateboarding fantasy writer Joff Vanderlinden; through the thoughts of Jonathan, who suffered a stroke and is struggling to adapt to living with his disability; and through the skewed perception of Kenneth P. Gill, who lives up on the tenth floor and seems to be hiding a secret. Rumour has it that a white goat is living on the roof of the building, and seeing it will bring seven years of good luck. So Kid, together with her new friend Will, who lost his parents in the Twin Towers, sets out to find out more about this unlikely bearer of good fortune. The novel perfectly combines literary skill with human warmth. Fleming masters the art of perspectival writing, drawing readers into the very different worlds of the residents of the Manhattan building and their attempts to make sense of their lives.