Brad Kessler is an author celebrated for his distinctive literary voice. His novels delve into profound human experiences, often exploring themes of nature, connection, and the search for meaning. Kessler's prose is characterized by its lyrical quality and keen observational power, drawing readers into richly imagined worlds. His work has been recognized for its literary merit and its ability to illuminate the complexities of the human condition.
The narrative centers on Brother Christopher, a Vermont monk, whose life intersects with Sahro Abdi Muse, a Somali refugee, and Teddy Fletcher, an Afghan war veteran, during a late spring blizzard. As Sahro embarks on a perilous journey from Somalia to Canada, the novel explores themes of displacement and human connection. Brother Christopher grapples with his fading monastic life, while Teddy seeks peace with his traumatic past. Through evocative prose, the author highlights the struggles of marginalized communities and the profound ties that bind them.
A gorgeously observed chronicle about getting out of the city and living life on the land, in the tradition of Anne Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek . When acclaimed novelist Brad Kessler started to feel unsatisfied by his Manhattan lifestyle, he opted to tackle his issues of over-consumption and live a more eco-friendly life. He and his wife moved to a seventy-five acre goat farm in a small southern Vermont town, where they planned to make a living raising goats and making cheese. They never looked back. Now Kessler adds to his numerous accomplishments (winner of the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, 2007 Whiting Award for Writers of Exceptional Promise, and a 2008 Rome Prize) an array of cheeses that have already been highly praised by Artisanal, the renowned cheese restaurant in New York City. In his transformation from staunch urbanite to countrified goat farmer, Kessler explores the rustic roots of so many aspects of Western culture, and how our diet, alphabet, reli- gions, poetry, and economy all grew out of a pastoral setting. With Goat Song , he demonstrates yet another dimension to his writing talent, showcasing his expertise as food writer, in a compelling, beautifully written account of living by nature’s rules.
Hauntingly beautiful, this new work by the author of "Lick Creek" is an extraordinarily moving novel about solitude, love, losing one's way, and finding something like home.
