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The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon - Review

Monday, April 10, 2017

I read this for my online book club, although I got it off NetGalley so thank you to Blue Door/Harper Collins for granting that to me.

The premise of the book intrigued me. It's set in the summer of 1976 during the famous heatwave, and concerns The Avenue, an ordinary street in a nameless East Midlands town. Part of the novel is told from Grace's point of view. Grace is ten, and hangs out with her friend Tilly (who she seems to treat quite badly on occasion). The two go to church on one occasion and are taught about the Parable of the Goats and the Sheep, and so set off on a mission to find God in their street, by going door to door. Meanwhile, their neighbour Margaret Creasy has gone missing and everyone is suspicious of both her husband and the man at number eleven.

The point of view switches on occasion to the points of view of the adults on the street. Dorothy has got dementia and can't remember what she told Margaret. Sheila can remember all too well the events of a November night nine years ago, when number eleven was on fire and old Mrs Bishop was killed.

I found it really confusing to decide who was who, because Grace kept calling them Mr or Mrs So-and-so but the adults all called each other by their first names. I thought the twists were really good and the novel was well paced, but I found it a bit dull to read. I also feel like I've read a couple too many novels set in the heatwave in 1976 - I get it! It was hot! It sent people a bit strange!

Overall, I give it six out of ten.


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