by Jaimy Gordon
First published 2005
Hermine grows up on a farm where beatings flow as freely as the daily chores. Her father's scowl greets her each morning, and her siblings strike out in anger before retreating into themselves. The animals that surround her become her true companions and teachers. Through sixty-four different creatures, from barn cats to workhorses, Hermine discovers the tenderness that her human family withholds. Each animal offers her a lesson in survival, loyalty, or simple presence that her relatives cannot provide. While her family sees her as less worthy of care than their livestock, Hermine builds a secret language of understanding with the creatures who share her world. The farm becomes both prison and sanctuary, where a young girl learns that love sometimes comes from the most unexpected sources.
Genres: fiction, animals, abuse, 20th-century, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: emotional-abuse, found-family
Setting: Farm
Period: 20th Century
186 pages · Paperback · New Issues Poetry and Prose
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse