NAMED AS KIRKUS BEST BOOKS OF 2014 in "off-the-beaten-path" category. In this searing adventure set in 1980 (John Lennon Killed, Reagan elected),city girl Elizabeth herds goats on a remote mountain farm in the South of France where she carves out a life without heat, running water, or even a good grasp of French. Far from her younger days as a New England preppie and Oregon hippie, the challenges of farm work daunt her. She befriends an Australian shepherd, reflects on her spirituality, and muses on the man she left behind. Elizabeth grows stronger, facing self-doubt, while she maintains her humor and ekes fun where she can. When tragedy strikes Elizabeth’s adopted family, she summons belief in herself and becomes the leader they desperately need. NONFICTION