THE JESUS COW

Michael Perry takes a direct, wry approach to narrating his own bizarre work. Around Christmas, on the outskirts of a small town where several secretive doings and business propositions are slowly coming to a head, a calf with markings in the likeness of Jesus Christ is born. Perry's pacing neatly embodies the ebb and flow of life in a small town; depictions of everyday life are interspersed with flutters of fervent activity. The story, and Perry's delivery, are simultaneously wholesome and irreverent--a multifaceted web of narratives laid out with ceremonious detail. Evocative of the work of David Sedaris and Garrison Keillor, Perry's story and delivery are idiosyncratic, honest, and likable. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2015]