Goat Song-Book Review

Brad Kessler has given us a book which combines the literary pleasure of reading words strung together in a lovely, simple, and artful way—with the occasional action of a best selling adventure–and frequent “I didn’t know that” moments of illumination. In the way of Thoreau or Kingsolver, the book is deeply satisfying on several levels.
At the beginning, it draws us into the romantic fantasy that Kessler and his wife lived by throwing it all up and moving from Manhattan to Vermont to buy a farm, raise goats, and make cheese. As Kessler and his wife Donna build their fence, renovate a chicken coop into a goat barn and load their first 4 goats into their vehicle—they are revealed as brave and capable and their growing love, respect, and admiration for their animals is contagious.
Just about every page is a feast for the wordsmith or the sociologist.  Through meticulous research, Kessler has developed a deep knowledge about the history of man and goat and the symbolism and spiritualism of this ancient shepherd and herd relationship.   Interesting facts abound (the kind you read aloud to whomever will listen), as do beautiful turns of phrase, and revelations about living kindly—alone and with neighbors.
At times the book is a real page-turner.  The tending and raising of goats has its raw, gritty, and not-so-nice elements—and the description of the process of goat breeding is both x-rated and hilarious.  And Kessler’s exploration of the ancient nature of man as shepherd is an intriguing facet of our current culture and language.
And finally, the book is a gift to the senses.  The sights and smells of mountains, meadows and animals living their daily lives–the sounds of the goats and the developed touch of the harvesting of their milk are vivid.    The discovery of how goat cheese is made in the most basic, yet skillful way—is fascinating and mouthwatering. And the joy of the two of them sharing their first cheese—laying out the bread and the wine and savoring their first creation…makes you want to run right out and buy a goat, or at least read everything Brad Kessler ever writes.
I highly recommend this book.

Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese
By Brad Kessler; 2009, Scribner

If you would like more information about the book click here: Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese.