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The Orphan From Shepherds Keep: Three Men, Three Intertwined Lives, One Rightful Place In Each Other's Heart - A Gay Novel
Over a period of thirty years, three gay men struggle to define themselves and make their mark on a turbulent and unwelcoming world that is so filled with anger that love has become a luxury.The townsfolk describe him as “prettier than a boy should be.” ELI APPLE is embarrassed by such remarks but soon learns to celebrate all the pleasures his beauty invites. He possesses the voice of an angel and the sound of his tender falsetto echoes throughout the green forests that surround his New England home. A rough, older boy, FERRIS COOPER, dazzled by the youngster’s loveliness and captivated by the hymns he sings, secretly follows him on his daily walks. And into both their lives arrives BENJAMIN BERGER, savior to one and beloved by the other. The adventures of these three men become entwined in a surprising tapestry of love and betrayal over the course of thirty years.
Straddling the worlds of music, religion, and art, and set in an era that begins with Ronald Reagan describing America as a “shining city on a hill” and ends with Donald Trump’s legacy of “American carnage,” these characters come of age while America is coming apart. They celebrate as gay marriage is legalized and suffer as gun violence explodes across the country. And when a deadly virus threatens and nations close their borders, they must struggle to survive in an America they no longer recognize.
Emulating the warmth and complexity of male friendships as portrayed in Hannah Yanagihara’s A LITTLE LIFE while also embracing the earthy sensuality of the same-sex couples in Garth Greenwell’s CLEANNESS, the characters in THE ORPHAN FROM SHEPHERDS KEEP are real and imperfect and utterly unforgettable.
Straddling the worlds of music, religion, and art, and set in an era that begins with Ronald Reagan describing America as a “shining city on a hill” and ends with Donald Trump’s legacy of “American carnage,” these characters come of age while America is coming apart. They celebrate as gay marriage is legalized and suffer as gun violence explodes across the country. And when a deadly virus threatens and nations close their borders, they must struggle to survive in an America they no longer recognize.
Emulating the warmth and complexity of male friendships as portrayed in Hannah Yanagihara’s A LITTLE LIFE while also embracing the earthy sensuality of the same-sex couples in Garth Greenwell’s CLEANNESS, the characters in THE ORPHAN FROM SHEPHERDS KEEP are real and imperfect and utterly unforgettable.
244 pages, Hardcover
Published November 2, 2023
85 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Law
3 books8 followersLindsay Law has produced scores of television plays and dozens of films, in addition to a pair of productions on Broadway. Many of these works have been nominated for Emmys, Tonys, and Oscars. He was the Executive Producer for the PBS drama series, AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE, from 1981 to 1995. He was the President of Fox Searchlight Pictures from 1995 to 2000. He lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
If you enjoyed this book and the time you spent with these characters, help spread the word on-line, at your local bookshop, and directly with your friends. The author would enjoy hearing about your experience while reading this book and invites you to ask any questions you may have about this story and his story.
If you enjoyed this book and the time you spent with these characters, help spread the word on-line, at your local bookshop, and directly with your friends. The author would enjoy hearing about your experience while reading this book and invites you to ask any questions you may have about this story and his story.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 22, 2025
I loved this story but, I have to say that you have to give in to 100% suspension of disbelief in the beginning or it’ll all fall apart. The fact that a group of monks were able to keep & raise an abandoned infant in 1980’s USA is preposterous. I was able to read this thinking of it as an adult fairytale and ended up being really moved by the story and it characters.
Read
May 10, 2024No rating, but I gave up at about 20%. This book clearly was not for me. I expected a historical novel starting in the Reagan era with boys who were older than baby’s and infants at the time. What’s the point of mentioning that particular point in American history when there’s no part of it in the book? I mean, when finally things start to happen for a bit, it’s already 1997, way past Reagan time. And still the three boys whom this story is about, haven’t really met. Besides, the whole talk of Kingdom when it’s situated somewhere in Vermont, and then there’s churches and monks, that really kept me feeling like I was reading a fantasy novel, so that didn’t vibe well with me either.
I’m quite disappointed though, because the blurb sounded like this was a book I would enjoy. I mean, say the word historical and I’m all ears! But I guess not every historical fiction is meant for me to enjoy.
Well, on to the next…
thank you for the arc, gay romance reviews. I’m sorry I couldn’t finish this.
I’m quite disappointed though, because the blurb sounded like this was a book I would enjoy. I mean, say the word historical and I’m all ears! But I guess not every historical fiction is meant for me to enjoy.
Well, on to the next…
thank you for the arc, gay romance reviews. I’m sorry I couldn’t finish this.
March 19, 2024
This sprawling first novel that moves across continents is filled with imaginative twists and turns from hard scrabble childhoods through the coming of age with gay identity through the conflicts of family and adult life. At times boldly graphic in its understanding of gay identity and love, it also contains insight about religious faith, art, and the travails of friendship - imaginative and vivid.
December 12, 2024
GREAT NOVEL *
I really enjoyed this book. More on that in a moment. But I have to start with the one very distracting thing that begins the story almost to the point I considered not reading it. So glad, I didn't do that. This error, in my view anyway, is at the foundation for how the entire novel proceeds. For me, good fiction is measured by its believability. Can I rationalize that in this story the events described could really have happened? Sorry to say, I couldn't buy into the plausibility of how this novel begins.
A fifteen-year-old boy straps a newborn infant to his chest, wraps the baby and himself in blankets and a warm coat, then travels several hours, more than one hundred miles, in a snowstorm over rugged terrain in the north of Vermont near the Canadian border to deposit the bundled child atop a snowdrift at the doorstep of a monastery. OK, that's a bit of a stretch, but what comes next just didn't pass the "no way would this happen" test.
The authorities get involved with this incident along with Vermont Family Services. After considerable debate among the eight monks living there as to whether it's a "good look" for eight grown men to raise a young boy to adulthood, the abbot approves a plan to keep this boy and raise him as their own. After making numerous "observation visit" the authorities accept the arrangement. It's 1984 and there's no way government would permit eight priests to become a "parenthood collective" and raise this child. He's an infant, male, and white... in Vermont; highly adoptable by a traditional family! I was so agog at the assumption Law makes here I decided to spend some time on the internet searching for a real-life precedent. The closest I came were statements on Catholic Church law forbidding priests or nuns from adopting children. The Church declared it was not the "calling" of its clergy to raise children as their own.
The orphan boy is named Elijah by his fathers. The further the narrative proceeded from these early days, a prequel of sorts to the story that follows, the more I began to accept the narrative for what it was pushing its origin from my mind. Along with Elijah, who shortens his name to just "Eli" when he's older, there are two other central characters. The teenager who rescues him, Ben, and the son of the couple who own the land on which the monastery sits on. Ferris is a juvenile delinquent about two years older than Eli's age. While the story remains primarily Eli's, all three characters will stay intertwined with one another throughout the narrative. In different ways, they all gradually embrace their homosexual orientations which, obviously, are a significant part of the story.
This saga spans approximately thirty-five years in the lives of these boys to men. Law deserves props for his intricate weaving of multiple storylines over such a long time and bringing them all to a "tidy" conclusion at the end of the book. For Ben and Ferris, their journeys are metaphorical really. They spend their entire lives in northern Vermont where they grew-up. Eli's journey, however, is both metaphorical and real. He is an uncommonly "beautiful" (as opposed to "handsome") male possessing a uniquely amazing mezzo-soprano voice. He will become famous for it and, fleeing a haunting past, he will live in Spain, Austria, Latvia, and Finland, before going back to Vermont, then to Canada, before returning again to Europe.
Law also mirrors real-life in that this novel doesn't really have one central plot. It meanders through multiple sagas with these characters, each with their own unique conflicts Law skillfully reconciles before smoothly transitioning, showing the prior's cause and effect with the next chapter in these characters lives. This narrative beautifully captures the phases we all pass through in our own lives. Over the course of these experiences, Law weaves in some of American society's current woes: a mass shooting and gun culture, drug addiction, 911, and the book ends during the height of the Covid pandemic. He also comments on our dysfunctional political climate. Although he's discreet in his condemnation, I also applaud him for his negative view of Trump and the destruction he caused our nation (and will now cause again).
Yeah... the origin of this story didn't work for me, but beyond that Law writes an engaging modern-day narrative with engaging fully developed characters possessing both the good and bad that exists in all of us.
I really enjoyed this book. More on that in a moment. But I have to start with the one very distracting thing that begins the story almost to the point I considered not reading it. So glad, I didn't do that. This error, in my view anyway, is at the foundation for how the entire novel proceeds. For me, good fiction is measured by its believability. Can I rationalize that in this story the events described could really have happened? Sorry to say, I couldn't buy into the plausibility of how this novel begins.
A fifteen-year-old boy straps a newborn infant to his chest, wraps the baby and himself in blankets and a warm coat, then travels several hours, more than one hundred miles, in a snowstorm over rugged terrain in the north of Vermont near the Canadian border to deposit the bundled child atop a snowdrift at the doorstep of a monastery. OK, that's a bit of a stretch, but what comes next just didn't pass the "no way would this happen" test.
The authorities get involved with this incident along with Vermont Family Services. After considerable debate among the eight monks living there as to whether it's a "good look" for eight grown men to raise a young boy to adulthood, the abbot approves a plan to keep this boy and raise him as their own. After making numerous "observation visit" the authorities accept the arrangement. It's 1984 and there's no way government would permit eight priests to become a "parenthood collective" and raise this child. He's an infant, male, and white... in Vermont; highly adoptable by a traditional family! I was so agog at the assumption Law makes here I decided to spend some time on the internet searching for a real-life precedent. The closest I came were statements on Catholic Church law forbidding priests or nuns from adopting children. The Church declared it was not the "calling" of its clergy to raise children as their own.
The orphan boy is named Elijah by his fathers. The further the narrative proceeded from these early days, a prequel of sorts to the story that follows, the more I began to accept the narrative for what it was pushing its origin from my mind. Along with Elijah, who shortens his name to just "Eli" when he's older, there are two other central characters. The teenager who rescues him, Ben, and the son of the couple who own the land on which the monastery sits on. Ferris is a juvenile delinquent about two years older than Eli's age. While the story remains primarily Eli's, all three characters will stay intertwined with one another throughout the narrative. In different ways, they all gradually embrace their homosexual orientations which, obviously, are a significant part of the story.
This saga spans approximately thirty-five years in the lives of these boys to men. Law deserves props for his intricate weaving of multiple storylines over such a long time and bringing them all to a "tidy" conclusion at the end of the book. For Ben and Ferris, their journeys are metaphorical really. They spend their entire lives in northern Vermont where they grew-up. Eli's journey, however, is both metaphorical and real. He is an uncommonly "beautiful" (as opposed to "handsome") male possessing a uniquely amazing mezzo-soprano voice. He will become famous for it and, fleeing a haunting past, he will live in Spain, Austria, Latvia, and Finland, before going back to Vermont, then to Canada, before returning again to Europe.
Law also mirrors real-life in that this novel doesn't really have one central plot. It meanders through multiple sagas with these characters, each with their own unique conflicts Law skillfully reconciles before smoothly transitioning, showing the prior's cause and effect with the next chapter in these characters lives. This narrative beautifully captures the phases we all pass through in our own lives. Over the course of these experiences, Law weaves in some of American society's current woes: a mass shooting and gun culture, drug addiction, 911, and the book ends during the height of the Covid pandemic. He also comments on our dysfunctional political climate. Although he's discreet in his condemnation, I also applaud him for his negative view of Trump and the destruction he caused our nation (and will now cause again).
Yeah... the origin of this story didn't work for me, but beyond that Law writes an engaging modern-day narrative with engaging fully developed characters possessing both the good and bad that exists in all of us.
August 23, 2025
Absolutely blown away (an audio review)
Words are kind of failing me right now as I’ve finished listening to this stunning audiobook. I didn’t know what to expect when I picked it up. The title intrigued me and the cover was evocative of summers I remember at the cottage. There were moments of the idyllic along with much of the intensity that can only come from the coming-of-age story of three young men in late twentieth-century America.
I think of all the characters, I related to Eli the most. Although I wasn’t an orphan, I was adopted at birth in a closed adoption. I only had two sentences about my parents and the social worker’s description of them. I spent almost thirty years wondering. I understood the reasons stated for giving me up, but never truly understood why. Like Eli, I would make stories in my mind. Who my parents were. Might I have siblings? Would they ever come to find me? I have answers to those questions, but the answers came later in my life. Perhaps when I was finally mature enough to deal with the consequences of knowing?
Ferris is a born troublemaker, as my mother would say. Doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble. Winds up dragging Eli into some of that. One shocking event ends their lives as they know them and both go separate ways. Somehow, knowing the other is out there isn’t enough of a comfort. Ferris has a lot of growing to do – if he survives.
Ben has an influence in both the younger men’s lives in ways that are unpredictable and yet impactful. He’s a reluctant hero so very often and he was an easy character to fall in love with.
The intertwining of the three men forms the basis of a stunning story that spans three decades. Being about Ben’s age, and a touch older than Ferris and Eli, I remember all the markers of time. Despite being Canadian, I was steeped in American culture and politics. As a lover of current affairs, I have followed world news all my life. So as the years passed, the author deftly set little time markers to remind me of outside events and, more particularly, how they impacted people’s lives. In this case, these three men’s lives.
I won’t give anything away because I honestly want listeners to have a chance to immerse themselves in powerful storytelling that steals breath, brings tears, and warms the heart. This is a book I didn’t see coming and I will never forget.
Wow.
I have to give a shout out to Bolton Marsh. He’s not a narrator I’ve heard before, but I’ll certainly grab anything else he narrates. He was brilliant.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. I’m so grateful it crossed my path at just the right time in my life.
Words are kind of failing me right now as I’ve finished listening to this stunning audiobook. I didn’t know what to expect when I picked it up. The title intrigued me and the cover was evocative of summers I remember at the cottage. There were moments of the idyllic along with much of the intensity that can only come from the coming-of-age story of three young men in late twentieth-century America.
I think of all the characters, I related to Eli the most. Although I wasn’t an orphan, I was adopted at birth in a closed adoption. I only had two sentences about my parents and the social worker’s description of them. I spent almost thirty years wondering. I understood the reasons stated for giving me up, but never truly understood why. Like Eli, I would make stories in my mind. Who my parents were. Might I have siblings? Would they ever come to find me? I have answers to those questions, but the answers came later in my life. Perhaps when I was finally mature enough to deal with the consequences of knowing?
Ferris is a born troublemaker, as my mother would say. Doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble. Winds up dragging Eli into some of that. One shocking event ends their lives as they know them and both go separate ways. Somehow, knowing the other is out there isn’t enough of a comfort. Ferris has a lot of growing to do – if he survives.
Ben has an influence in both the younger men’s lives in ways that are unpredictable and yet impactful. He’s a reluctant hero so very often and he was an easy character to fall in love with.
The intertwining of the three men forms the basis of a stunning story that spans three decades. Being about Ben’s age, and a touch older than Ferris and Eli, I remember all the markers of time. Despite being Canadian, I was steeped in American culture and politics. As a lover of current affairs, I have followed world news all my life. So as the years passed, the author deftly set little time markers to remind me of outside events and, more particularly, how they impacted people’s lives. In this case, these three men’s lives.
I won’t give anything away because I honestly want listeners to have a chance to immerse themselves in powerful storytelling that steals breath, brings tears, and warms the heart. This is a book I didn’t see coming and I will never forget.
Wow.
I have to give a shout out to Bolton Marsh. He’s not a narrator I’ve heard before, but I’ll certainly grab anything else he narrates. He was brilliant.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. I’m so grateful it crossed my path at just the right time in my life.
May 24, 2024
This book follows the lives of three gay men over thirty years, but it actually starts even earlier. The blurb sets it up, but it is much more complicated than it seems at first glance. It is not really a romance, although romance is a changing element through out. The lives of Eli, Ben, and Ferris intersect many times in the 30 plus years beginning in 1984 with Eli’s birth and the first intersection between Ben and Eli, through the connection of Ferris and Eli, leading to Ben and Eli, next to Ben and Ferris, and finally Eli, Ben, and Ferris together. The setting changes between upstate Vermont, USA, to several countries in Europe over the 30 years, with more about Eli as his career grows. Several characters in both locations have profound impacts on the lives of these three, with the threads of the three ebbing and flowing as time passes. A yearning and seeking for love and family is in all three, given their varied upbringings. A quote from the book summarized the story for me pretty well:
“Three men, three intertwined lives, trying to claim their rightful places in each other’s hearts.”
This is a beautiful and moving story, mentioning many of the social, political, and emotional events of those years, and bringing back into my mind the chaos and upheaval with changes in our everyday lives at the beginning of the pandemic, felt even more so in Europe than the US in the initial months. Characters were realistic and well developed, and locations vividly drawn to create pictures in the mind’s eye. There were a lot of musical references, and Eli’s travels with his musical career helped blend the changes in time and location. The book held my interest, and triggered many memories of those years in my mind.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
“Three men, three intertwined lives, trying to claim their rightful places in each other’s hearts.”
This is a beautiful and moving story, mentioning many of the social, political, and emotional events of those years, and bringing back into my mind the chaos and upheaval with changes in our everyday lives at the beginning of the pandemic, felt even more so in Europe than the US in the initial months. Characters were realistic and well developed, and locations vividly drawn to create pictures in the mind’s eye. There were a lot of musical references, and Eli’s travels with his musical career helped blend the changes in time and location. The book held my interest, and triggered many memories of those years in my mind.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
January 24, 2025
The best book I have read in years! As a gay man, I identify in different ways with nearly all the charaacters. The book draws you in, tantalises, and leaves you always on edge about the next development in all their lives. It is extremely well written, without lots of spelling and grammatical mistakes, which really annoy me, and very few typos. Law's grasp of language is excellent, his descriptions poignant and his characters feel real, even though the story itself (an orphan in a monastery) feels more medieval than present day. Once Eli leaves the monastery, his life in Spain and other European countries is very evocative of the somewhat rootless way we gay men sometimes live our lives - preferring to follow the siren call of a new adventure or opportunity or relationship, rather than settling for suburban normality. A must read!
August 4, 2025
This novel recounts some of the adventures of three boys/men over a period of thirty years. It felt like a snapshot of events, some more enjoyable and gripping than others.
ELI, the orphan who was raised by monks. FERRIS, a rougher, older boy, who led Eli astray in his teenage years. And BEN, who initially rescued baby Eli, and grew up to become a cop.
A lot of characters are introduced and involved in various events over the length of the story, not all vital. I wish Eli and Alexi had more on-page time together instead.
The story is narrated well and, overall, I like the author’s story telling style, although some happenings are a little far-fetched and unbelievable at times. Overall an enjoyable listen.
ELI, the orphan who was raised by monks. FERRIS, a rougher, older boy, who led Eli astray in his teenage years. And BEN, who initially rescued baby Eli, and grew up to become a cop.
A lot of characters are introduced and involved in various events over the length of the story, not all vital. I wish Eli and Alexi had more on-page time together instead.
The story is narrated well and, overall, I like the author’s story telling style, although some happenings are a little far-fetched and unbelievable at times. Overall an enjoyable listen.
August 12, 2025
This is a very good story. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's quite different. A unique telling of baby saved by a young boy and dropped at a monetary to keep him from being sold into slavery.
It's also the telling of the boy that saved him and another boy he got introuble for.
There's a lot going on and it does skip around from person to person and as time goes by. But the way it's narrated really is easy to follow.
A fabulous story of mistakes and how they can alter more than one life.
The narration is great. The narration is smooth and well paced and there are enough distinction in voices. And some sound effects like bang bang for gun fire and lilts etc. Very entertaining.
It's also the telling of the boy that saved him and another boy he got introuble for.
There's a lot going on and it does skip around from person to person and as time goes by. But the way it's narrated really is easy to follow.
A fabulous story of mistakes and how they can alter more than one life.
The narration is great. The narration is smooth and well paced and there are enough distinction in voices. And some sound effects like bang bang for gun fire and lilts etc. Very entertaining.
May 26, 2024
At Eli's birth I was going to be a freshman in college, but I remember clearly these events over the years. This was a fascinating account of these three men throughout decades and it really hit me how much has changed but that also nothing much has changed. Here, have some rights, oops, spoke too soon, now we will take them back. This is progress? Besides my diatribe, I thought this was a fantastic, engaging and memorable book. To the author, Thanks for the Memories!
Thanks for the memory
Of cushions on the floor,
Hash with Dinty Moore,
That pair of gay pajamas
That you bought
And never wore.
Say by the way what ever became of those pajamas?!!
A little Bob Hope!
Thanks for the memory
Of cushions on the floor,
Hash with Dinty Moore,
That pair of gay pajamas
That you bought
And never wore.
Say by the way what ever became of those pajamas?!!
A little Bob Hope!
December 23, 2025
Profound Storytelling
This novel captivated me with a compelling story of love, loss, friendship, and family. Lindsay Law's moving and profound tale left me emotionally reeling. However, it's unsettling that he omits the devastating AIDS crisis from the early 1980s to the present, while including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. I understand the negative connotations and stigma associated with mentioning AIDS, but this epidemic has had a profound impact on the lives and futures of many gay men, similar to the character Eli. I would've appreciated this perspective in the dynamics of this book. Despite this, it's a wonderful novel worth reading.
This novel captivated me with a compelling story of love, loss, friendship, and family. Lindsay Law's moving and profound tale left me emotionally reeling. However, it's unsettling that he omits the devastating AIDS crisis from the early 1980s to the present, while including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. I understand the negative connotations and stigma associated with mentioning AIDS, but this epidemic has had a profound impact on the lives and futures of many gay men, similar to the character Eli. I would've appreciated this perspective in the dynamics of this book. Despite this, it's a wonderful novel worth reading.
November 20, 2024
it seems like the book would've made a good day time TV series - that would've spiced it up a bit. It's an ambitious story that doesn't exactly keep one wanting more. I read to the end though there were times I took a long break before reading on. There are really good insights into the characters and relationships in some parts of the novel, and there are very bland and uninteresting aspects of each character in other parts... The main story is of 3 characters with intertwining life histories, but in essence it was a patchwork of each one's highly unusual life that contained many unrealistic 'happenings'.
August 19, 2025
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
I loved this audiobook!
This was a wonderfully complex story. I must admit that at times it was a little difficult for me to follow but I still loved listening to it. The epilogue was so appreciated. AFAIK this was the first book I’ve listened to performed by Bolton Marsh and I loved listening to him. I think this is a story that will stick with me for a while.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
I loved this audiobook!
This was a wonderfully complex story. I must admit that at times it was a little difficult for me to follow but I still loved listening to it. The epilogue was so appreciated. AFAIK this was the first book I’ve listened to performed by Bolton Marsh and I loved listening to him. I think this is a story that will stick with me for a while.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
June 13, 2024
This is a heartwarming yet heartbreaking story of three gay men over the span of thirty years that spans the AIDS crisis, gay marriage, and a Trump presidency. Through it all they suffer unimaginable losses, soaring passionate ecstasies, and immense personal growth while still intertwining with each other. It all starts in northern Vermont, and travels to the Carolinas, Spain, Finland, and eastern Europe. These are all perfectly whole yet imperfect men.
July 2, 2024
Loved this book. Some similarities to ‘’Little Life’ but not quite as intense. After some challenging and disappointing reads this was a welcomed change. Solid plot, well developed characters and beautiful writing. One of those books that you hate to finish and stick with you. A great summer read!!
“… he knows the image of this day will come back to him, again and again, like a curled photograph in a family album. He treasures the joy he feels, but his books warn that happiness is flighty and her visits are brief.”
“… he knows the image of this day will come back to him, again and again, like a curled photograph in a family album. He treasures the joy he feels, but his books warn that happiness is flighty and her visits are brief.”
August 6, 2024
A modern Dickensian novel
Completely enjoyable novel of three boys growing up in rough circumstances rise above their awful childhoods.
I loved Eli’s travels in Eastern Europe. All three overcome daunting obstacles, which I found inspiring.
Completely enjoyable novel of three boys growing up in rough circumstances rise above their awful childhoods.
I loved Eli’s travels in Eastern Europe. All three overcome daunting obstacles, which I found inspiring.
November 3, 2024
Pure pleasure!
Reading this contemporary novel was pure pleasure! The author provides a narrative which continuously entertains, surprises and reveals a wonderfully developed plot and characters, with an astute sense of personal and social commentary. Highly recommend!
Reading this contemporary novel was pure pleasure! The author provides a narrative which continuously entertains, surprises and reveals a wonderfully developed plot and characters, with an astute sense of personal and social commentary. Highly recommend!
August 18, 2025
Absolute trash. TRUMP & MAGA hating author just spewing ridiculous liberal / left wing nonsense. Does NOTHING to improve & or support the plot of the work. Law writes like a petulant child at best, an unhinged Libtard at worst. Not surprised my wife found this garbage at the Dollar Store. 🤣🤣🤣
August 28, 2025
Touching
I have not read such a touching story in over 40 years. So well written. I can picture each character and scene as though it was a film. I shall forever use the greeting “Is it well with you?”
I have not read such a touching story in over 40 years. So well written. I can picture each character and scene as though it was a film. I shall forever use the greeting “Is it well with you?”
May 23, 2024
Follow three men as they explore what being gay means them. It follows them over 30 years as they see what life will have in store for them. A wonderful and lovely read
May 30, 2024
Not a romance. First up. I didn't expect it to be.
It was all right. Quite interesting.
Slightly clunky in writing internal lives and love stuff. writing love stuff takes skill!
I appreciated the depiction, not always intentional, ie written by a gay dude where this stuff is Just Normal, how homophobia deeply mucks up and twists lives.
It was all right. Quite interesting.
Slightly clunky in writing internal lives and love stuff. writing love stuff takes skill!
I appreciated the depiction, not always intentional, ie written by a gay dude where this stuff is Just Normal, how homophobia deeply mucks up and twists lives.
August 4, 2024
An engaging read
September 17, 2024
This book is STUNNING! One of the very best I've read this year. 🥹🥹🥹🥹
October 13, 2025
So incredibly well written. Each of the 3 men really had so much depth and felt so real. I couldn’t put it down, the pacing was perfect. Didn’t want it to end!! Love love Eli !
November 3, 2025
4.0 of 5 stars - Engaging Story Over Time of 3 Gay Boys to Men
May 27, 2024
Thank you to GRR for this beautiful arc!
I had to grab this book as it was compared to A Little Life, which is one of my favorites. Though I see the comparison, this is a gorgeous story that stands on its own.
This is the story of three boys from Vermont who end up in each other’s lives in unconventional ways.
Elijah Apple, an orphan raised by eight priests in a monastery; Ferris Cooper, the town bad boy and resident troublemaker, and Benjamin Berger, the son of the local gun and drink traders. They meet as teens, and one horrible event separates them. Though they keep in touch, their lives take very different turns. Ferris longs to be a writer, Ben finds his calling in the police force, and Eli tours the world as a renowned singer. Over time, the three come in and out of each other’s lives, and we follow them over a span of thirty years.
This book explores so much through Eli, Ben and Ferris: discovering their sexuality, first love, religion, art, music, and the profound effect every person who comes into your life can have. These boys go through love, pain, heartbreak, life and death.
This book has so much heart and emotion, and I laughed and cried through all of it.
A truly beautiful story with complicated and stunning MCs.
I had to grab this book as it was compared to A Little Life, which is one of my favorites. Though I see the comparison, this is a gorgeous story that stands on its own.
This is the story of three boys from Vermont who end up in each other’s lives in unconventional ways.
Elijah Apple, an orphan raised by eight priests in a monastery; Ferris Cooper, the town bad boy and resident troublemaker, and Benjamin Berger, the son of the local gun and drink traders. They meet as teens, and one horrible event separates them. Though they keep in touch, their lives take very different turns. Ferris longs to be a writer, Ben finds his calling in the police force, and Eli tours the world as a renowned singer. Over time, the three come in and out of each other’s lives, and we follow them over a span of thirty years.
This book explores so much through Eli, Ben and Ferris: discovering their sexuality, first love, religion, art, music, and the profound effect every person who comes into your life can have. These boys go through love, pain, heartbreak, life and death.
This book has so much heart and emotion, and I laughed and cried through all of it.
A truly beautiful story with complicated and stunning MCs.
May 20, 2024
THE ORPHAN FROM SHEPHERDS CREEK is an imaginative and moving tale that will appeal to readers in and beyond the gay community. It follows three men from childhood to the adult world as they discover their identities and their sexuality. They are born in a time when you could hardly talk about being gay, when acting on it threatened families and careers. They are fortunate to find greater personal freedom as they grow older. The story is full of surprises, all grounded in the changing social attitudes of the late 20th century. The characters are complex; they continue to know, like and love one another as each navigates his path in a singular way. Their personalities have stayed with me.
A truly memorable debut novel.
A truly memorable debut novel.
December 1, 2024
The author has a very impressive career as a film, TV and stage producer. This is his first novel. There is much to like about this book.
Although there is a genuine sweetness to the story, I found it a bit cloying and the dialogue very flowery. I appreciate the intellect the author has given his characters, but the language used doesn't seem realistic in the context of the story, in my humble opinion. I also found the characters somewhat 2 dimensional and ultimately I wasn't rooting for any of them. I didn't feel involved with their journeys.
Having said all of that, this book was recommended by a friend whose taste I admire so I suspect this just wasn't for me. I already see there are many 5 star reviews of the book so if the story intrigues you, give it a try.
Although there is a genuine sweetness to the story, I found it a bit cloying and the dialogue very flowery. I appreciate the intellect the author has given his characters, but the language used doesn't seem realistic in the context of the story, in my humble opinion. I also found the characters somewhat 2 dimensional and ultimately I wasn't rooting for any of them. I didn't feel involved with their journeys.
Having said all of that, this book was recommended by a friend whose taste I admire so I suspect this just wasn't for me. I already see there are many 5 star reviews of the book so if the story intrigues you, give it a try.
August 22, 2025
An absolutely wonderful story of three men in America from the 80s to the 2020s. The book will resonate with anyone who followed politics and the arts during this period as it shows both the high points and low points from these times. We experience things even more intensely because of the three characters the author introduces us to here. They jump off the page alive and three dimensional and I could not wait to see everything that happened to them, celebrate their happy times and hurt for them at others.
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