The Bucolic Plague - by Josh Kilmer-Purcell (Paperback)

About the Book

I adore the Beekman boys story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I can t help feeling there is hope for us all. Alice Waters

Kilmer-Purcell s genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care. Armistead Maupin

Michael Perry (Coop, Truck: A Love Story) meets David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) in this follow-up to Josh Kilmer-Purcell s beloved New York Times bestselling debut memoir, I Am Not Myself These Days another riotous, moving, and entirely unique story of his attempt to tackle the next phase of life with his partner on a goat farm in upstate New York."

Book Synopsis

"I adore the Beekman boys' story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I can't help feeling there is hope for us all." -Alice Waters

"Kilmer-Purcell's genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care." -- Armistead Maupin

Michael Perry (Coop, Truck: A Love Story) meets David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) in this follow-up to Josh Kilmer-Purcell's beloved New York Times bestselling debut memoir, I Am Not Myself These Days--another riotous, moving, and entirely unique story of his attempt to tackle the next phase of life with his partner... on a goat farm in upstate New York.

From the Back Cover

National Bestseller

What happens when two New Yorkers (one an ex-drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, raise a herd of kids, and get a little dirty?

A happy series of accidents and a doughnut-laden escape upstate take Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner, Brent Ridge, to the doorstep of the magnificent (and fabulously for sale) Beekman Mansion. And so begins their transformation from uptight urbanites into the two-hundred-year-old-mansion-owning Beekman Boys. Suddenly Josh--a full-time New Yorker with a successful advertising career--and Brent find themselves weekend farmers, surrounded by nature's bounty and an eclectic cast: roosters who double as a wedding cover band; Bubby, the bionic cat; and a herd of goats, courtesy of their new caretaker, Farmer John.

The Bucolic Plague is a tart and sweet, touching and laugh-out-loud funny story about goats, mud, homemade soap, approaching middle age, and finding new depths of love and commitment wherever you live.

Review Quotes

"Kilmer-Purcell fertilizes this narrative until it reeks of charm." -- New York Times

"Enter 60 goats and homemade soap, apple-picking and an heirloom vegetable garden. Hilarity follows. And trouble. But let's not spoil the party. It's fun." -- USA Today

"The Bucolic Plague has something different to offer--if we can do it anyone can, it tells us, provided we can laugh at ourselves." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Side-splitting." -- Wall Street Journal

"A hilarious memoir." -- Whole Living

"The witty new memoir from Josh Kilmer-Purcell." -- Food & Wine, Online Review

"Always entertaining and often moving." -- The Stranger (Seattle)

"Baby goats, diarrhea, and Martha Stewart. Former drag queen turned goat farmer Josh Kilmer-Purcell begins his latest book, The Bucolic Plague, with a hilarious vignette involving all three. Clearly, the man has an interesting story to tell." -- Wisconsin State Journal

"Kilmer-Purcell writes with dramatic flair and trenchant wit, uncovering mirthful metaphors as he plows through their daily experiences." -- Publishers Weekly

"This particular merging of city and country is both sweet and savory." -- Kirkus Reviews

"I adore the Beekman boys' story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I can't help feeling there is hope for us all." -- Alice Waters

"I gobbled up this book like...well, like goat cheese on a cracker. Kilmer-Purcell's genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care." -- Armistead Maupin

"A delicious book about two city boys who buy a farm, fall in love with a herd of goats, and attempt to revive the American dream. . . . Never has mucking out a stall been more scintillating!" -- Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals

"My Amtrak seat mate in the Quiet Car, a complete stranger, insisted that I read out loud the scene -- a goat in labor -- that was making me laugh so hard I was crying. . . . Kilmer-Purcell's book is manically funny, sweetly open and trusting, and slick and snarky." -- New York Times Book Review