The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-PurcellBack-of-the-book blurb: What happens when two New Yorkers (one an ex–drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, have a herd of kids, and get a little dirty?
A happy series of accidents and a doughnut-laden escape upstate take Josh and his partner, Brent, to the doorstep of the magnificent (and fabulously for sale) Beekman Mansion. One hour and one tour later, they have begun their transformation from uptight urbanites into the two-hundred-year-old-mansion-owning Beekman Boys.
The Bucolic Plague is a story about approaching middle age, being in a long-term relationship, realizing the city no longer feeds you in the same way it used to, and finding new depths of love and commitment wherever you live.
She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: This is the kind of memoir I love – real people having fun/quirky adventures and confronting obstacles that have the power to make or break them. I’ve recommended The Bucolic Plague to many of my IRL friends, a book group that reads only non-fiction, and a man in a bookstore who was looking for “that book about two guys from the City who buy a farm.”
Kilmer-Purcell’s prose tell their story in an entertaining manner, at times funny — This scene I especially enjoyed, due to my own recent adventures – and some misadventures – with canning; the author has just dipped tomatoes into boiling water, then into icy water, to “shock” the skins off, per instructions on the Martha Stewart website:
Of course, the tomatoes she used for her demonstration were perfectly smooth and orblike. Our heirloom tomatoes came in all shapes and sizes, with bulbous protrusions and deep crevices that bordered on pornographic. While Martha’s skins fell off her tomatoes like a silk slip off a supermodel, our skins got caught in the deep folds and stuck stubbornly. It was like trying to peel leather pants off of a sweaty, hairy, fat guy.
At times poignant, like the scene when Kilmer-Purcell tries to retrieve the wishbone from the compost pile, hoping to share a wish with his partner. He had just been ruminating over the success of their first Thanksgiving dinner hosted at the Beekman – a dinner shared with friends who were content simply to be together enjoying a meal, without the usual excess of the holiday:
Just when I thought I had loosened it enough to break free, it broke. I was left holding the smallest prong.
The turkey won.
But it didn’t matter. This boy from Wisconsin already had most of his wishes come true.
While on the surface it may seem that Josh and Brett live a charmed life – they both have steady incomes which allow them to purchase the Beekman, Brett’s job with Martha Stewart Omnimedia connects them with interesting people and opportunities – the memoir is about more than the happy mishaps of city-folks turned gentlemen-farmers.
They have their share of struggles – economic hardships strain their relationship, and they begin to question the reasons they purchased the home and the goals they have for it, and for each other. Josh and Brett must assess their options when it comes to saving both the Beekman Mansion and their partnership. While enjoying a well-paced and entertaining memoir, the reader can form his/her own opinion as to whether they sacrificed any of their goals.
Highly recommended; Josh and Brett’s story is one to watch as it continues to evolve.
I just pulled this one out of the stacks. Hoping to get to it soon, especially after reading your review. Thanks Dawn
I’m not a big fan of memoirs, but this one sounds fun! However, the passage about the leather pants and the sweaty, hairy guy…EW!
At first, I thought this was written by a couple that bought an old mansion/farm in my town… their story is quite similar. The book sounds wonderful. Just added it to my wishlist!
I rarely watch Martha Stewart but saw a show where one of them was featured making soap (I think it was soap anyway) but I didn’t realize they had a book out! This is exactly the kind of book I like too!
I read another review of this book that was only lukewarm, but after reading yours I think this sounds like a book I would really like. Have you read Coop by Michael Perry? If you enjoyed this book, I think you would really like that one!
I usually don’t read memoirs, but this one sounds like I might enjoy it. Especially since I’m a suburbs girl who now owns 37 acres in the country & 4 laying hens. LOL
I’ve heard good things about this book. I’m not big on memoirs either, but this does sound different than the usual memoir.
diane – I really liked it, especially the first 3/4, that shows how they got where they are today.
Anna – it’s quite a visual, isn’t it?!?
JoAnn – the Beekman is in Sharon Springs, NY, about an hour (in good weather) west of Albany
Kathy – there’s a very funny scene about travelling with goats/kids for that soap-making episode!
zibilee – COOP is on my wishlist! I’m enjoying the resurgance of ‘back to the land’ themed books
Colleen – wow, that’s quite a lifestyle change! Do give the memoir a try -it’s not a celebrity-style story (which I avoid), and it’s not a down-so-low-I-can’t-get-up story (had enough of those). Fun/quirky with some real challenges thrown in
rhapsody – it’s so entertaining, you could tell yourself it’s a novel until the last quarter or so …
Lol. Just reading the synopsis made me smile. I’ll have to recommend this to my godfather.
Oh! Your review has inspired me to read this one. I wish I had the time today!
Ooh, glad you liked this one. I’ve got it to review and hope to get to it at some point!
Hubby and I have been watching their show sporadically and it is both hilarious and touching. If the book it anything like the show, it is sure to be a huge success!
I love memoirs that go beyond the norm, and from everything I have heard, this one fits the bill. I love to hear about people who sell everything and move to the country (secret fantasy maybe?) and this just puts the modern twist on it. I wonder if there is an audio of this one?
ladytink – I hope your grandfather enjoys it – quirky and fun … all about assessing your dreams and following them.
Julie – no kidding! Where does the time go?!?
Swapna – Now I want to read Kilmer-Purcell’s earlier memoir; loved his writing style
Heather – I wish I hadn’t known about the tv show (hard to avoid, as it’s mentioned on the jacket flap), because it makes part of their struggle a bit anticlamatic. Glad to know you enjoy it, though … I’ll have to see if we get the channel and put a few episodes on the DVR
Sandy – they don’t abandon Manhattan completely, but definitely undergo a HUGE lifestyle change. I think my library had it on Overdrive/audio, but I’m not sure about a traditional audiobook.
I picked this up at BEA — so glad it’s recommended.
I’m really looking forward to this one! I enjoy the tv show so much, and my husband and I made a trip to their store to buy soap (which I love) and Brent was delightful to chat with. I’m glad to hear you liked it!
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