The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Hathaway and Schatz were happy living together in New York City—Schatz was Time.com's picture editor, and Hathaway a former manager of Magnolia Bakery. Still, they wondered what sort of people they'd be if they lived in the country, and in this offbeat memoir Hathaway narrates their search. The idea of raising cows wasn't affordable or appealing, but goats were intriguing, especially since their cheeses were so tasty. Before long, the couple decided to leave New York for a yearlong goat odyssey, searching out everything goat that struck their fancy. Starting in New York with a tasting session with maître fromager Max McCalman, they traveled the country visiting goat farms, auctions and shows. While they had a lot to learn—how to milk goats, how to trim their hooves—they were also trying to find a model lifestyle for themselves. Eventually, they realized they wanted a farm with some vegetables and some animals, but not so many that the farm would become a factory. More than anything, they wanted a modest life surrounded by people they loved. Back-to-the-land fantasies aren't new, but Hathaway gives theirs a modern twist by emphasizing terroir, the idea that food is rooted in the land, and of connecting the palate to the place. Local-eating, slow-food activists will find much to chew on here. (Aug.)
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From Booklist
Burned out by the rigors of New York City, Hathaway and her boyfriend imagined an agricultural life. Self-described foodies (Hathaway managed Manhattan's famed Magnolia bakery), the couple thought about making goat cheese, and after agonizing about how best to realize their dream, they decided to spend a year researching and visiting goat operations throughout the country. In the Year of the Goat, according to the Chinese zodiac, they quit their jobs and set off, camping along the way. Their travels introduce them to goat conventions and festivals (goat chariot races are the headlining attraction at one), world-renowned chefs and cheese experts, and cheese makers at dairies large and small. Hathaway pokes fun at her naive notions of rural life with a sly humor that nicely balances the naked earnestness of the endeavor. The details of animal husbandry and cheese production will intrigue those interested in food's origins, and many readers, particularly city dwellers, will also be captured by the personal story of a young couple's unusually thoughtful efforts to build a meaningful life together. Engberg, Gillian
From the Back Cover
Many people dream of leaving the workday world for a life of simplicity and freedom, and Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz did just that. Feeling like something was missing from their city lives, the couple began to dream of an existence that was closer to the land and became captivated by the idea of themselves as . . . goat farmers. Realizing that they knew little about goats, and even less about farming, they gave themselves a year to explore the world of goats and decide if that was where they belonged. In The Year of the Goat, the reader can jump in the “goatmobile” and follow their adventures as they ditch their big-city lifestyle to trek across forty-three states in search of greener pastures and the perfect goat cheese. Along the way, the reader is introduced to a vivid cast of characters—including farmers, breeders, cheese makers, and world-class chefs—and learns everything there is to know about goats and getting back to the land. From the largest goat auction in Texas to a small Indiana dairy, from a Tennessee barbecue cook-off to a tasting session with New York’s premier maître fromager, the couple pursues all things goat. But readers beware: when it comes to goat cheese, it can be love at first bite.
Customer Reviews
A delightful story.
I read this book to learn more about goat cheeses (which I have recently grown to love) and not only learned more about them, but about the passion that goes into their production. This book is about people with true love for what they have decided to do. It is a pleasure to read and I can't wait to get to the market and sort through the goat cheeses again, now with a little more knowledge of not just how they taste and how are produced, but the beauty of the animals and people responsible for them. Who knew a book about cheese could lead you to both laugh and cry!
Random, but great!
This book was recommended to me from a public library reading list. Although I was initially hesitant to read this book (I have little interest in the production of goat cheese or goat meat), I was really glad that I did.
In this book, Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz (her photographer partner) leave New York City to travel around the United States to determine if they are interested in beginning a new lifestyle as agriculturalists. They interview any and all individuals associated with the industry of goats (cheese makers, chefs, butchers, show judges, etc.) and discover an amazing amount about the U.S. goat world and about themselves.
The first few pages of the book are a little information-heavy, but the characters they meet on their journey make up for the intense emphasis on goat products. In reading this book, I feel like I got out of it what I hoped I would: a realistic and purposeful travelogue about American community.
I read this as part of a book club (I suggested this book on faith), and we had some really interesting conversations about their journey, sustainable living, and small-town charm. Some of us loved it and others of us didn't like it as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in goats, back-to-the-land movements, and insightful traveling memoirs.*
*For others interested in obscure (but interesting) travel narratives, I would highly recommend "Who Are You People: A Personal Journey into the Heart of Fanatical Passion in America" by Shari Caudron. This author dives into various communities (Barbie Doll conventions, Furries, Sci-Fi conventions, etc.) to understand what draws people to different interests and how these communities are interlinked.
I kept *trying* to like it ! 
This book was a big let down. I was so excited when I came upon it. The premise sounds great! My DH and I are also moving into such a new life of goats. . .But trying to get through these pages was tiresome work! It is written like. . . a flat book report is what comes to mind. I was rooting for this book; every chapter I had hope. Big disappointment IMO.
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