A poignant coming-of-age story set in the small area of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where life is simple but dreams are big. Everett Lindt has some big ones - finding the perfect ram to start his own breed and settling down with a girl, Mary, he’s fallen in love with. Entering his senior of high school, Everett and Mary seem to be settling into a relationship, only to have an event happen that poises critical and lasting choices. This book is magical. I felt I was reconnecting in a way with Willa Cather who wrote beautifully of the simple life, nature and dreams. This is truly a brilliant and well written story. I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read! Like a true coming of age classic, it made me laugh, cry and experience all the feelings in between. Maurer’s creative and unique descriptions of people, places, and things bring you right into the story as though you are living alongside the characters. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Jim Harrison, and Elizabeth Strout will be happy to include Sara Maurer among one of their favorite authors. A superb and beautiful debut from a new voice in fiction - it’ll leave you longing for more!

This book broke my heart. I cried multiple times and felt it was over too soon. I loved the comparison of the heartbreak of farm life and the heartbreak in our own lives. I had such a soft spot for Everett, Fluff, and Roman. I wish the story continued just one more chapter because it felt unfinished, but so understand why it ended there. I really enjoyed my time with this emotional story.

Beautifully Written and Rooted in Place

Rating: ★★★★☆

As a Michigander, I’m always drawn to stories set in my home state, and this one absolutely delivered. Sara Maurer’s debut novel is a lyrical, bittersweet coming-of-age tale set in the rural farm country outside Sault Ste. Marie. She perfectly captures the stillness and grit of small-town life; the kind that shapes dreams, but can also hold them back.

Everett and Mary’s story is tender and complicated, filled with longing, hope, and the tension between staying rooted and chasing something bigger. Maurer’s prose is vivid and heartfelt, bringing both the beauty and the harshness of rural life into sharp focus.

This is a story that lingers; a moving exploration of love, choice, and the way one moment can ripple through generations.

A Good Animal was the book that got me out of my reading slump. I was hooked from page one. Sara Maurer takes us to Michigan and our lives are transformed to sheep farmers. The Lindt family has been raising sheep for generations. This farm land has been in family for as long as Everett can remember. Then Mary enters the picture. Mary comes with her military father, moving every couple of years. But Everett falls in love from the first time he sees her, even though he tries to fight it. A Good Animal teaches all of us about first love, raising sheep, and life in general. I can't say enough good things about this book. I will definitely be looking for further work by Sara Maurer and will be recommending A Good Animal to others. Special Thanks to NetGalley, Sara Maurer, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.