The Bucolic Plague Audiobook By Josh Kilmer-Purcell cover art

The Bucolic Plague

How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir

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The Bucolic Plague

By: Josh Kilmer-Purcell
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
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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 200-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; Bubbly, 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.

©2010 Josh Kilmer-Purcell (P)2011 Tantor Memoir Funny Heartfelt Witty Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"Kilmer-Purcell fertilizes this narrative until it reeks of charm." ( The New York Times)
Laugh-out-loud Humor • Honest Storytelling • Entertaining Adventures • Refreshing Memoir
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Loved this book overall! Funny and a great treatise on the folly of perfectionism. Loved the descriptions of the protagonists, a gay power couple, going from successful New York life to farmers in the historic Beekman Mansion in the New York countryside. Their various struggles with this dramatic transition, juggling jobs in the city, the realities of farm life, and their own relationship, are both humorous and tragic. I found parts of the book repetitive, but actually, never boring. A romp. And better for it's being an intriguing, true story!

Entertaining

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Bucolic Plague to be better than the print version?

Equal

Who was your favorite character and why?

Brent and Josh and Polka Dot

What about Johnny Heller’s performance did you like?

Yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! and I did twice.

Any additional comments?

This is a great story. I already ordered the soap for my son who is allergic to everything and it is working great on him!!

So Funny and Sweet

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Bucolic Plague to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bubby the cat, of course!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

(spoiler)
Near the end when they were not sure if they would be together or even keep the Beekman. The writing captured that sadness and loss.

Any additional comments?

I liked Josh's first book even though I considered it so sad, so I chose this one. The opening scene did not grab me and I didn't like the reader for that scene BUT I decided to stick with it and I'm so glad I did. Once we got into the story I was hooked right into it and I quickly changed my mind about the reader.
Lesson learned - keep an open mind when you start an audio book. The reader can make or break a story but give them a full chance!
I was sad the book ended because I wanted to just keep hearing about their adventures at the Beekman.

Unsure at first but I ended up really liking it!

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What a wonderful, honest & refreshing memoir. Thank you for sharing it with us! Top notch!

Loved it!

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Loved this book! It made me smile knowing there are others that go through good times and hard times and feel the same emotions I do. But....we keep on going.....somehow... and buy our seeds so to speak and hope for a brighter future.

Did not want this book to end!

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a wonderful book- fun and funny, but unflinchingly honest about the struggles of life and relationships.

loved it

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This book is like a breath of fresh air, real and funny. The performace was excellent.

Real and Funny

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Great listen though I think the narrator could have been better. Coming from a "rowhouse" in Philadelphia, upon moving 15 miles outside the city limits, I purchased an end unit "townhouse". I then felt I had to get a riding mower since the lawn was bigger than a postage stamp. I can so feel their pain, especially having Martha Stewart as a friend. Very enjoyable.

Great beach listen

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I wander what Martha thinks of this book? It's a well written chronicle of the two city boys trying to find the farming skills they need to save the Beekman mansion, only to finally realise that their urban savvy is what they needed all along. A really honest and forthright read.

Bye bye city, hello country

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Would you listen to The Bucolic Plague again? Why?

No, but I'd read other work by Josh Kilmer-Purcell. This is a man with an incredible sense of humor. He goes at life with extreme passion and ventures into concepts foreign to my experience. A very unique approach to country living.

What did you like best about this story?

The perspective on the very human challenges of surviving modern relationships, tough economic times and a chance to hear how two men make the best out of every new opportunity. .

Which character – as performed by Johnny Heller – was your favorite?

Martha Stewart

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were a number of opportunities to laugh out loud.

A lot of great humor

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