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Goat: A Memoir by Brad Land

Goat is a memoir of brutality suffered by Brad Land as a young man. After a year away at college, Brad returns to his South Carolina hometown. While giving a ride to two men he didn't know, Brad is robbed, brutally beaten, and dumped in a remote location. The next year he tries to pledge at his younger brother's fraternity at Clemson. The hazing of the pledges, referred to as goats, becomes an excuse for sadistic brutality and dehumanization at the hands of men who claim to be his "brothers." The pledging brings back post-traumatic memories and forces him to quit the fraternity. Goat is told in a simple straightforward manner and has received mostly positive reviews. The Rocky Mountain News says, "Goat is the kind of book that takes your breath away like a fist to the stomach. You'll be torn by opposing urges: one, to race through it to learn what happens, and another, to slow down and savor the artfulness of its craft."