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Description edit
“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 ) “I adore the Beekman boys’ story. Their unlikely... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Martha Stewart: Needs no description, but was Josh's boyfriend's boss.
- John: Local farmer with a lot of goats who works on the farm.
- Doug: Co-owner of the American Hotel in Sharon Springs. Garth's partner.
- Dr. Brent: Add a description of this character.
- Garth: Co-owner of the American Hotelin Sharon Springs. Partner of Doug.
- Michelle
- Bubby: the Barn Cat extraordinaire!
- Kerr
- William Beekman: The original, slave-owning farmer who built the Beekman.
- Kerri
- Josh: A former drag queen named Aqua turned advertisement specialist and writer. He purchased the Beekman with his partner, Brent, so he could live his dream of a simpler life.
- Deb
- Gwen
- Paul Bunyan
- Jim
- Mary: The name of a spirit believed to belong to a child who died in the Beekman and currently takes residence there.
- Jess
- Heidi
Quotes edit
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“P.46: I wasn't used to being trusted. Living in the city for so many years had trained me to doubt everyone and bristle with defensiveness at the slightest hint of altercation.”
Josh Kilmer-Purcell -
“P.127: I was starting to really understand the existential comfort behind my mother's explanation for most any unpleasantness in life: what's done is done.”
Josh Kilmer-Purcell -
“P.129: Other than the flour and sugar used in the recipes, every dish served on our Thanksgiving table came completely from the farm. The turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn casserole, squash, pickles, sour cherry sauce, apple cider, home-made cornbread stuffing, and pumpkin pie were all provided courtesy of the ground underneath the Beekman.”
Josh Kilmer-Purcell -
“P.213: As far as I'm concerned, the whole point of being with the same person for many years is not so that he or she can finish your sentences, but so that you rarely have to start one to begin with.”
Josh Kilmer-Purcell -
“P.279: We bought the Beekman to return to a simpler life. Truth isn't beauty. It isn't even always true. Truth is nothing more than consistency of message. I learned that from advertising.”
Josh Kilmer-Purcell
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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The problem with perfection, I realized, is that it leaves others with nothing to do but search for flaws.
Highlighted by 92 Kindle customers -
Truth isn’t beauty. It isn’t even always true. Truth is nothing more than consistency of message.
Highlighted by 84 Kindle customers -
“It’s fine that one strives for beauty, but if one only finds it in perfection, then it will remain forever hidden.
Highlighted by 75 Kindle customers -
Your Best Life isn’t necessarily your favorite life or the one you selfishly want. It’s simply the life you’re best at.
Highlighted by 60 Kindle customers -
There is no one story about anything that happens in the world. This is what people forget when they read nonfiction essays, journalism, or memoirs. Every second of every day, our heads are filled with millions of conflicting emotions and decisions. Compiled over a lifetime—or even a single day for that matter—it’s impossible to have a truthful, accurate, and concise record of anything we do.
Highlighted by 59 Kindle customers -
Wabi Sabi. “Overly simplified,” she explained, “it defines beauty as imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”
Highlighted by 40 Kindle customers -
As far as I’m concerned, the whole point of being with the same person for many years is not so that he or she can finish your sentences, but so that you rarely have to start one to begin with.
Highlighted by 39 Kindle customers -
Martha isn’t about achieving perfection—God knows she hasn’t. It’s about going back time after time trying to get there.
Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers -
I’ve always thought that one of the signs of true adulthood is when you realize that you spend each Christmas trying to relive childhood memories that never really happened in the first place.
Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers -
For true Martha-philes, the real spirit of Christmas is giving or, more specifically, giving up every moment between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in pursuit of beating baby Jesus at his own game.
Highlighted by 31 Kindle customers
Setting & Locations edit
First Sentence edit
The last time I saw 4 a.m., I was tottering home in high heels and a matted wig sipping from the tiny bottles of Absolut I always kept in my bag for emergencies.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Josh Kilmer-Purcell (Author)
- Alejandro Cuevas (Author)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 306.778092
Subjects edit
Popular Tags
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