The Unicorn in the Barn

Ogburn, Jacqueline. The Unicorn in the Barn. 2017. 304p. ISBN 978-0-544-76112-4. Available at FIC OGB on the library shelves.

The Harper family has struggled financially since Eric’s grandmother fell ill. They had to sell her farm to a veterinarian, Dr. Brancusi, and her daughter, Allegra while grandmother moved in with Eric, his father and his brother Steve. Then grandmother became ill enough that she had to move to a nursing home for specialized care. Eric and his family visit her every weekend. Dr. Brancusi, meanwhile, has transformed the farmhouse into an animal hospital.

Eric meets Allegra when she begins posting “no trespassing signs” around their new property. When Eric points out that Allegra is herself trespassing by his treehouse and not putting signs up in the right place, she gets mad at him. Eric spends some time in his treehouse, but he falls asleep. When he awakens, it is dark. He climbs down and heads home, but then he spots a white deer in the woods, whiter than snow. Curious, he follows it around and realizes that it’s a unicorn, and she’s heading straight for the neighbors’ barn. Dr. Brancusi is caring for the unicorn, who suffers from an infected hoof. Pregnant with twins, Dr B. and Allegra are caring for it.

Despite Allegra’s misgiving, Dr. B. agrees to let Eric help with the caring for Moonpearl. Eric realizes that the animal hospital cares not only for regular animals, but for magical animals as well, such as a Cheshire cat, a goose which hatches golden eggs, and even a squonk. The unicorn possesses the ability to heal, but every time it does so it loses some vitality. With his grandmother dying, Eric is confronted with a tough choice. Should he try to save his grandmother even if it may cost the unicorn her soon-to-be born babies? Faced with this tough decision based on a secret, Eric cannot turn to anyone for help, except for Allegra. The two of them don’t get along, but maybe it’s time to end this conflict.

The Unicorn in the Barn is a well-crafted tale of caring, of love and of death. It’s not about the magic, it’s about what we do to help each other.