The Trouble with Goats and Sheep A Novel

<b>“I loved this book. It's one of those books that you just want to give to everybody.” </b><b>—Nancy Pearl on NPR’s <i>Morning Edition </i><br> <br> “An astute, engaging debut” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>), <i>The Trouble with Goats and Sheep</i> is a quirky and utterly charming tale of a community in need of reconciliation and two girls learning what it means to belong.</b><br><br>England, 1976. Mrs. Creasy is missing and the Avenue is alive with whispers. The neighbors blame her sudden disappearance on the heat wave, but ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly aren’t convinced, and decide to take matters into their own hands.<br> <br> Spunky, spirited Grace and quiet, thoughtful Tilly go door to door in search of clues. The cul-de-sac starts to give up its secrets, and the amateur detectives uncover more than they ever imagined. A complicated history of deception begins to emerge—everyone on the Avenue has something to hide.<br> <br> During that sweltering summer, the lives of all the neighbors begin to unravel. The girls come to realize that the lies told to conceal what happened one fateful day about a decade ago are the same ones Mrs. Creasy was starting to peel back just before she disappeared...<br> <br> “A thoughtful tale of loyalty and friendship, family dynamics and human nature” (<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>), this glorious debut is part coming-of-age story, part mystery. <i>The Trouble with Goats and Sheep</i> radiates an unmistakable warmth and intelligence and is “rife with tiny extraordinaries” (<i>The New York Times Book Review</i>). “Joanna Cannon is an author to watch” (<i>Booklist</i>, starred review).