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Town Father: Or, Where Graceful Girls Abound
Three hundred independent-minded women in 1880s California have embarked on a seemingly impossible journey: to establish a town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada composed exclusively of women. The only way for the singular town of Hestia to succeed, though, is for a second generation of residents to come along, and the women imagine there must be, somewhere in the country, a benign and willing gentleman who can help them. In short, a Town Father.
Set against the rough-and-ready backdrop of Gold Country, Town Father chronicles the occidental adventure of Hestia's choice, Henry O'Farrell, as he comes to believe in the women’s feminist dream, living their trials and tragedies at their side. Rosella Kimball (architect), Lucien Thorpe (poet, philosopher), Maisie Grace (markswoman), Tilly Swan (builder), and the object of his private affections, Avis Honeycutt (executive) -- along with 295 other utopian trailblazers -- may not be his wives, but they are his loves. Hestia, named for the Greek goddess of hearth and home, is where he was always meant to be.
The only question is whether society at large will let them all live in peace…
Set against the rough-and-ready backdrop of Gold Country, Town Father chronicles the occidental adventure of Hestia's choice, Henry O'Farrell, as he comes to believe in the women’s feminist dream, living their trials and tragedies at their side. Rosella Kimball (architect), Lucien Thorpe (poet, philosopher), Maisie Grace (markswoman), Tilly Swan (builder), and the object of his private affections, Avis Honeycutt (executive) -- along with 295 other utopian trailblazers -- may not be his wives, but they are his loves. Hestia, named for the Greek goddess of hearth and home, is where he was always meant to be.
The only question is whether society at large will let them all live in peace…
- GenresHistorical Fiction
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2015
6 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Brennan
12 books51 followersKevin Brennan is the author of seven novels, including Parts Unknown (William Morrow/HarperCollins), Yesterday Road, and, coming in May '22, The Prospect. His short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in The Berkeley Fiction Review, Mid-American Review, Twin Pies, The Daily Drunk, Sledgehammer, Fictive Dream, Atlas and Alice, LEON Literary Review, MoonPark Review, Atticus Review, and others. He's also the editor of The Disappointed Housewife, a literary magazine for writers of offbeat and idiosyncratic fiction, poetry, and essays. Kevin lives with his wife in California's Sierra foothills.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 17, 2016
This book is wonderfully unique and beautifully written. The main character is so richly drawn you'll think you know him. And while as an introvert and a woman the story's premise made me a bit squeamish (living in a self-formed town in the late 1800s with 300 women and one man whose main job is to help produce children), it never detracted from my enjoyment. In fact, it added to it, because fiction is best when it moves us in some way and causes an emotional reaction. This would be an excellent book for a book club discussion.
This novel is proof there are quiet gems hidden among the bestsellers if we only give them our attention.
This novel is proof there are quiet gems hidden among the bestsellers if we only give them our attention.
November 4, 2015
The third book from Kevin Brennan that I've enjoyed tremendously. Like the others, Town Father is another story about regular people put in slightly offbeat situations -- no so offbeat, it strains the limits of credibility, but offbeat enough to throw some challenges in the way. For both the characters and the readers. Town Father is a beautifully, well-told story one can read for the pure enjoyment of it or for some deeper meanings that lurk below the surface.
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March 5, 2016I found the book amusing. Especially in the beginning. Henry does seem so dense, or innocent, depending on how you want to look at it. I enjjoyed waiting to see how long it was going to take Henry to find out what all his duties entailed as "Town Father," and if his reaction was going to be what I thought it was going to be.
It was nice to see totally independant women.
Thank you Goodreads for sending me this book.
It was nice to see totally independant women.
Thank you Goodreads for sending me this book.
September 7, 2016
Town Father kept me intrigued from the first page right through to the end! I always wanted to know what was going to happen next to the many characters. The writing is beautiful and the story is racy without being at all graphic. I really enjoyed this book!
July 3, 2020
This is a refreshingly different book about an alternate American Dream. A 19th century feminist dream of a town established, built, and managed by women, whose objective is to produce a generation of children untouched by the masculine taints of violence, oppression and disrespect. The only role for a man in this experimental community is that of procreator.
Henry O'Farrell, the Town Father, is a sympathetic guy. He's perfect for the role, once he overcomes a few problems, including a phobic reaction to women. Several of the women characters are also distinctive and memorable, especially as representatives of the principles by which the town of Hestia is governed. The story is told mainly from Henry's point of view, sometimes in the form of diary entries. Occasionally it shifts to other characters, in scenes where Henry is not present.
What I liked best about this book was the physical setting of the story—a mountain valley in the Sierra Nevada—and the Hestian ideals. (Would that they were found in the larger world we live in now.) References to Walt Whitman and snippets of his poetry convey zest for the unfettered life. Henry's dilemmas and struggles are presented with a mixture of humour and realism. And even though a good deal of the plot necessarily involves sex, this aspect was handled with grace and tenderness.
Despite my enjoyment and appreciation of the characters and Brennan's writing, I kept tripping over the fundamental plot premises as I read. Three hundred women living for years in perfect harmony? Sure, they all bought into the community's basic principles at first, but to me the women seemed too uniformly perfect. A town of women left to run its own affairs with little interference from men in 1880s California? Okay, something wicked does come their way eventually, but I thought it likely that a posse of indignant men would have arrived in short order to straighten out the girls and squash their project. There were other logistical details that might have bothered me more if I had let them. But perhaps this novel includes a bit of magical realism in its historical setting?
My logistical reservations aside, Town Father is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel.
Henry O'Farrell, the Town Father, is a sympathetic guy. He's perfect for the role, once he overcomes a few problems, including a phobic reaction to women. Several of the women characters are also distinctive and memorable, especially as representatives of the principles by which the town of Hestia is governed. The story is told mainly from Henry's point of view, sometimes in the form of diary entries. Occasionally it shifts to other characters, in scenes where Henry is not present.
What I liked best about this book was the physical setting of the story—a mountain valley in the Sierra Nevada—and the Hestian ideals. (Would that they were found in the larger world we live in now.) References to Walt Whitman and snippets of his poetry convey zest for the unfettered life. Henry's dilemmas and struggles are presented with a mixture of humour and realism. And even though a good deal of the plot necessarily involves sex, this aspect was handled with grace and tenderness.
Despite my enjoyment and appreciation of the characters and Brennan's writing, I kept tripping over the fundamental plot premises as I read. Three hundred women living for years in perfect harmony? Sure, they all bought into the community's basic principles at first, but to me the women seemed too uniformly perfect. A town of women left to run its own affairs with little interference from men in 1880s California? Okay, something wicked does come their way eventually, but I thought it likely that a posse of indignant men would have arrived in short order to straighten out the girls and squash their project. There were other logistical details that might have bothered me more if I had let them. But perhaps this novel includes a bit of magical realism in its historical setting?
My logistical reservations aside, Town Father is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel.
December 15, 2018
Well written points of view on a genre I haven't quite read before!
January 20, 2023
You never know if a utopia will survive.
August 31, 2017
This latest novel by Kevin Brennan could be considered a slight departure from his earlier novels. Town Father is historical fiction (1880s forward), written in a style that evokes the manners and sentiments of the time. But that is as far as it departs. All the rest—the dry humor, the humanity, the subtle but pointed political commentary (“I am afraid for the country, though in many ways I no longer live in it”)—is there, just as it is in his earlier work. And it is what all his novels and short stories have in common that make them quintessentially the work of Kevin Brennan.
On the surface, Town Father is a polite, delightful story of a utopian experiment: the establishment of a town of 300 women, who are all “serviced” by one very dedicated and moral gentleman. It sounds almost whimsical, except from the very beginning of the novel, the reader develops sympathy for the gentleman which leads quickly to a desire to protect him. Henry O’Farrell is a kind, dutiful man who suffered a broken heart due to the fact that his beloved’s father thought him a man of few prospects. His pain is such that he suffers from stuttering and asthmatic attacks whenever in the company of a beautiful woman. So imagine how he might fare among 300 beautiful women.
Without telling you the whole story, suffice to say that Brennan neatly lays out a plot that contrives to have Mr. O’Farrell innocently move from Philadephia to the foothills of the Sierras in California, thinking his mission in his new employment to be simply the clerk of a new town called Hestia. He is completely unaware of the intent of the six women who govern Hestia. Once all is made clear, he struggles against the seeming immorality of it, but it’s too late. He is smitten with all of Hestia, as is, by that point, the reader herself.
Hestia is idyllic, with every citizen contributing to the growth and well-being of the community, using the best of her talents and skill. And so does Henry contribute, heretofore unaware of his soon-to-be apparent talents and skill in getting women pregnant. But still, Henry is an ideal Town Father in that he believes in his mission (as comically as that is presented at times) and he sympathizes with the community’s concern about male influences: “[…] they are so right about humans of the male persuasion in this world. It is—sad to say—a Darwinian place, this earth and country we hand down to our children, where the strong and belligerent win every time.”
But can such a utopia truly last? There are tensions between Hestia and the nearest town, where the men look upon Henry with suspicion and disdain. Outsiders intrude, quickly discerning the town’s secrets, and for a time Henry leaves, believing that his presence will only make things worse. There are no easy resolutions as the outside world presses in, but the women of Hestia, and, eventually again, Henry, persevere. Though in this review, I’m focused on Henry, each of the major female characters—Avis, Maisie, Tilly, Willow, Callipoe, Lucien, Paige to name a few—left deep impressions on me. You would think with such a large cast of characters, the reader would get lost, forget who is who. But much like Henry, who learns to recognize each visitor to his bed even in the dark, the reader learns to tell Tilly from Paige, Avis from Lucien.
I had the good fortune to read the second half of the book in one sitting, a relief since a number of the plot twists turn there. Initially this novel seemed to be turning into nonfiction since in the first half, Hestia runs smoothly and grows by leaps and bounds thanks to Henry’s service. But darker times come and they don’t go away easily. Hestia and Henry are tested, and during that second half, I was often on the edge of my seat (actually, couch), eager to find out what would happen next.
I will say the ending surprised me, ending on more of a philosophical note than a cliffhanger or plot twist: “The culmination of life may as well be this moment, he thought.” But I want things to end well for Henry and for Hestia. I’m not sure I can fully believe that without Henry, the town will be able to keep the outside world out. But that I could believe at all that one man, even the right man, could enable a community of women to prosper points to the power of Brennan’s writing.
I highly recommend Town Father. If you want just a delightful romp through what could be everyman’s dream, it’s the book for you. But if you want that romp to test your sense of the world, of humanity, and of morality (oh, the irony of a thief and possible murderer referring to Henry as immoral), then this book is also for you.
On the surface, Town Father is a polite, delightful story of a utopian experiment: the establishment of a town of 300 women, who are all “serviced” by one very dedicated and moral gentleman. It sounds almost whimsical, except from the very beginning of the novel, the reader develops sympathy for the gentleman which leads quickly to a desire to protect him. Henry O’Farrell is a kind, dutiful man who suffered a broken heart due to the fact that his beloved’s father thought him a man of few prospects. His pain is such that he suffers from stuttering and asthmatic attacks whenever in the company of a beautiful woman. So imagine how he might fare among 300 beautiful women.
Without telling you the whole story, suffice to say that Brennan neatly lays out a plot that contrives to have Mr. O’Farrell innocently move from Philadephia to the foothills of the Sierras in California, thinking his mission in his new employment to be simply the clerk of a new town called Hestia. He is completely unaware of the intent of the six women who govern Hestia. Once all is made clear, he struggles against the seeming immorality of it, but it’s too late. He is smitten with all of Hestia, as is, by that point, the reader herself.
Hestia is idyllic, with every citizen contributing to the growth and well-being of the community, using the best of her talents and skill. And so does Henry contribute, heretofore unaware of his soon-to-be apparent talents and skill in getting women pregnant. But still, Henry is an ideal Town Father in that he believes in his mission (as comically as that is presented at times) and he sympathizes with the community’s concern about male influences: “[…] they are so right about humans of the male persuasion in this world. It is—sad to say—a Darwinian place, this earth and country we hand down to our children, where the strong and belligerent win every time.”
But can such a utopia truly last? There are tensions between Hestia and the nearest town, where the men look upon Henry with suspicion and disdain. Outsiders intrude, quickly discerning the town’s secrets, and for a time Henry leaves, believing that his presence will only make things worse. There are no easy resolutions as the outside world presses in, but the women of Hestia, and, eventually again, Henry, persevere. Though in this review, I’m focused on Henry, each of the major female characters—Avis, Maisie, Tilly, Willow, Callipoe, Lucien, Paige to name a few—left deep impressions on me. You would think with such a large cast of characters, the reader would get lost, forget who is who. But much like Henry, who learns to recognize each visitor to his bed even in the dark, the reader learns to tell Tilly from Paige, Avis from Lucien.
I had the good fortune to read the second half of the book in one sitting, a relief since a number of the plot twists turn there. Initially this novel seemed to be turning into nonfiction since in the first half, Hestia runs smoothly and grows by leaps and bounds thanks to Henry’s service. But darker times come and they don’t go away easily. Hestia and Henry are tested, and during that second half, I was often on the edge of my seat (actually, couch), eager to find out what would happen next.
I will say the ending surprised me, ending on more of a philosophical note than a cliffhanger or plot twist: “The culmination of life may as well be this moment, he thought.” But I want things to end well for Henry and for Hestia. I’m not sure I can fully believe that without Henry, the town will be able to keep the outside world out. But that I could believe at all that one man, even the right man, could enable a community of women to prosper points to the power of Brennan’s writing.
I highly recommend Town Father. If you want just a delightful romp through what could be everyman’s dream, it’s the book for you. But if you want that romp to test your sense of the world, of humanity, and of morality (oh, the irony of a thief and possible murderer referring to Henry as immoral), then this book is also for you.
January 2, 2016
I loved this book. The voice reminded me of a male Jane Austen, due to the slow and careful attention to detail plus the complex yet subtle interactions between the characters (and lord knows I love me some Jane Austen). What I loved best, though, were the small flickers of humor carefully placed throughout the story, many of which made me laugh out loud.
The premise of the book: Meek-mannered Henry O'Farrell, a 30-something virgin living in Philadelphia in the late 19th century, answers a job ad for a town father in a small California town.
When he arrives, he finds that the town of Hestia is nothing as he expected, for it's populated with only women, about 300 of them. And guess what they're looking for?
Yep, you're right: A man. A man to help them reproduce and repopulate the town with a new generation of women.
Poor Henry! And yet, lucky Henry.
The complexities, and the humor, of the situation rarely escape Brennan’s eye, and readers can’t help falling in love with fumbling Henry plus an array of Hestia’s women, including the lovely Avis, the mannish Tilly (one of my favorite characters) and Lucien and Maisie.
The story moves slowly at times, lingering in the world of Hesia, this world of women, almost as if Brennan doesn’t want to leave this place he’s created and, neither does the reader, either. Luckily, Brennan smartly peppers the story with enough conflicts to keep the pace rolling forward (an unexpected death, a visit from circus performers who refuse to leave and cause much disruption, and lusty thoughts, among the town’s women).
The story poses many questions: Is it possible to devise and maintain a Utopian society? Can women live without men? Do men cause most of the conflicts in a society? What is the meaning of love between a man and a women, women and women and one man and many women?
Brennan does a good job of leaving the answers to the readers, and weeks after finishing the “Town Father,” I’m still grappling with many of these questions.
In my mind, this makes “Town Father” a book worth reading, a book worth lingering over, a book worth discussing and rereading and pondering and wondering.
Because, after all, isn’t that why we read to begin with?
The premise of the book: Meek-mannered Henry O'Farrell, a 30-something virgin living in Philadelphia in the late 19th century, answers a job ad for a town father in a small California town.
When he arrives, he finds that the town of Hestia is nothing as he expected, for it's populated with only women, about 300 of them. And guess what they're looking for?
Yep, you're right: A man. A man to help them reproduce and repopulate the town with a new generation of women.
Poor Henry! And yet, lucky Henry.
The complexities, and the humor, of the situation rarely escape Brennan’s eye, and readers can’t help falling in love with fumbling Henry plus an array of Hestia’s women, including the lovely Avis, the mannish Tilly (one of my favorite characters) and Lucien and Maisie.
The story moves slowly at times, lingering in the world of Hesia, this world of women, almost as if Brennan doesn’t want to leave this place he’s created and, neither does the reader, either. Luckily, Brennan smartly peppers the story with enough conflicts to keep the pace rolling forward (an unexpected death, a visit from circus performers who refuse to leave and cause much disruption, and lusty thoughts, among the town’s women).
The story poses many questions: Is it possible to devise and maintain a Utopian society? Can women live without men? Do men cause most of the conflicts in a society? What is the meaning of love between a man and a women, women and women and one man and many women?
Brennan does a good job of leaving the answers to the readers, and weeks after finishing the “Town Father,” I’m still grappling with many of these questions.
In my mind, this makes “Town Father” a book worth reading, a book worth lingering over, a book worth discussing and rereading and pondering and wondering.
Because, after all, isn’t that why we read to begin with?
February 2, 2016
I have been a fan of Kevin Brennan's writing since I read Yesterday Road and was not disappointed when I rushed to buy Town Father. My fandom (if that is a word) is based on Kevin's extraordinary ability to take a small piece of a story and build it into a literary tour de force. As a writer, I am hopelessly in awe of Kevin's writing and in some small way I pick up his books with the idea of being exceptionally critical. Instead, I walk away with new learning on character and plot development.
The story itself is very straightforward. A guy is asked to come to a town of nothing but women to take over the duties slowly revealed to be the sire for a new generation of residents. Okay enough said. The reader can now expect a bunch of machinations around relationships, right? Wrong. The reader has no idea what is to unfold and here is the best part. The reader has to stay with the story because it is told so damn well that the outcomes are not the point. The point is the journey to get to the outcomes.
The town is a utopia, and the protagonist is living the dream of every male on the planet. The dream does come with some complications which Mr. Brennan masterfully weaves into the story. The reader becomes increasingly concerned about the health and welfare of not just the residents but the very town itself. We end up caring what happens to this little piece of heaven, and this then exemplifies the genius of the writing.
The story is one that will be enjoyed by all readers no matter the genre preference. I give the book five stars and anything less would not be an honest reflection of my appraisal. (envious or no)
The story itself is very straightforward. A guy is asked to come to a town of nothing but women to take over the duties slowly revealed to be the sire for a new generation of residents. Okay enough said. The reader can now expect a bunch of machinations around relationships, right? Wrong. The reader has no idea what is to unfold and here is the best part. The reader has to stay with the story because it is told so damn well that the outcomes are not the point. The point is the journey to get to the outcomes.
The town is a utopia, and the protagonist is living the dream of every male on the planet. The dream does come with some complications which Mr. Brennan masterfully weaves into the story. The reader becomes increasingly concerned about the health and welfare of not just the residents but the very town itself. We end up caring what happens to this little piece of heaven, and this then exemplifies the genius of the writing.
The story is one that will be enjoyed by all readers no matter the genre preference. I give the book five stars and anything less would not be an honest reflection of my appraisal. (envious or no)
February 25, 2016
Interesting story idea, but...
I wish I could give half stars. This story was interesting; I really liked the setting and the concept of a town full of strong, independent women who decided to set out and set up on their own without the aid or abuse of men. I loved the town founders; they were well characterized and interesting individuals. However, there were some plot hole issues that made it hard for me to go along with the story. For one, I felt like the way the women tricked Henry wasn't really on the up and up. I also felt like a lot of fuss was made over how clever they were for their genius ideas in designing and laying out the town just so--but they seemed to really fail to consider some very basic problems and needs any town might encounter, and seeing them with no plan for how to deal with, say, unwanted visitors when they all acknowledged that their commune was controversial as hell left me struggling to suspend my disbelief.
I wish I could give half stars. This story was interesting; I really liked the setting and the concept of a town full of strong, independent women who decided to set out and set up on their own without the aid or abuse of men. I loved the town founders; they were well characterized and interesting individuals. However, there were some plot hole issues that made it hard for me to go along with the story. For one, I felt like the way the women tricked Henry wasn't really on the up and up. I also felt like a lot of fuss was made over how clever they were for their genius ideas in designing and laying out the town just so--but they seemed to really fail to consider some very basic problems and needs any town might encounter, and seeing them with no plan for how to deal with, say, unwanted visitors when they all acknowledged that their commune was controversial as hell left me struggling to suspend my disbelief.
November 7, 2016
Feminist Utopian
Town Father's premise is that of a women-only feminist utopia, Hestia, set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at the turn of the 20th century (late 1800s & early 1900s). To ensure the community's future, the women contract a Town Father. Although Hestia is far from my ideal, and I'm a feminist, I found the novel very entertaining. My own skepticism and love for monogamy and marriage kept me from every seriously entertaining the premise. But, that is what is so fun about reading fiction. I can set aside my own preconceptions and preferences, and enjoy a world unlike my own. Of course, there have been other utopian free-love communes in US history. Oneida, for example, comes to mind.
Town Father's premise is that of a women-only feminist utopia, Hestia, set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at the turn of the 20th century (late 1800s & early 1900s). To ensure the community's future, the women contract a Town Father. Although Hestia is far from my ideal, and I'm a feminist, I found the novel very entertaining. My own skepticism and love for monogamy and marriage kept me from every seriously entertaining the premise. But, that is what is so fun about reading fiction. I can set aside my own preconceptions and preferences, and enjoy a world unlike my own. Of course, there have been other utopian free-love communes in US history. Oneida, for example, comes to mind.
December 27, 2015
Having read other books by Kevin Brennan, I'm reminded of the depth and breadth of his writing ability. This story line could have gone many directions, but I felt like he took it in a direction that was not only interesting, but came to a great final conclusion. I was drawn into the story by the characters who were varied and easy to like.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews