Many people dream of leaving the workaday world for a life of simplicity and freedom, and Margaret Hathaway and her then-boyfriend Karl did just that. In Year of the Goat, the reader can jump in the goat mobile with them as they ditch their big-city lifestyle to trek across 43 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. But readers beware: when it comes to goat cheese, it can be love at first bite.

Margaret Hathaway is a freelance writer and aspiring farmer. A former manager of the Magnolia Bakery in New York City, she is a founding member of the Portland Slow Food Convivium, as well as an active volunteer with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners' Association. She lives in Maine with her husband Karl, her daughter Charlotte, their dog Godfrey, and an ever-growing group of animals.