Reeling from a terrifying assault that has left him physically
injured and psychologically shattered, nineteen-year-old Brad Land
must also contend with unsympathetic local police, parents who can
barely discuss “the incident” (as they call it), a brother riddled
with guilt but unable to slow down enough for Brad to keep up, and
the feeling that he’ll never be normal again. When Brad’s brother
enrolls at Clemson University and pledges a fraternity, Brad
believes he’s being left behind once and for all. Desperate to
belong, he follows. What happens there—in the name of
“brotherhood,” and with the supposed goal of forging a scholar and
a gentleman from the raw materials of boyhood—involves torturous
late-night hazing, heartbreaking estrangement from his brother,
and, finally, the death of a fellow pledge. Ultimately, Brad must
weigh total alienation from his newfound community against
accepting a form of brutality he already knows too well.
A searing memoir of masculinity, violence, and brotherhood, Goat
provides an unprecedented window into the emotional landscape of
young men and introduces a writer of uncommon grace and power.