Human, Animal (paperback): A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick
by Seth Insua
 
** 'BEAUTIFULLY, SKILFULLY TOLD WITH REAL TENSION AND GORGEOUS CHARACTERS, HUMAN, ANIMAL MOVED ME TO TEARS... REMARKABLE' - RUSSELL T DAVIES **
 
A deeply moving debut about one family's struggle to find connection in a rapidly changing world, Human, Animal is an ode to the wild, a journey of self-discovery and a hopeful path to common ground.
 
Dairy farmer George Calvert is fighting to keep the family business afloat. Worried about the future but resistant to change, he refuses to face the reality of his failing farm, his elderly mother's declining health and his troubled relationship with his youngest son, Tom.
Newly returned from university, Tom isolates himself in his childhood bedroom, guarding the truth of his burgeoning identity.
 
When animal rights activists break into the cowshed one morning and Tom appears to side with the protesters, father and son lock horns. As the Calverts begin to unravel, a decades-old secret surfaces – one that might rip them apart completely, or finally unite them.
 
Perfect for fans of Pity by Andrew McMillan, Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart, A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson and The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld.