"Lindsay Law's gorgeous debut novel, The Orphan From Shepherds Keep, is truly a wonder. Genuinely funny, moving, and very sexy, it has characters and a story I climbed in with right from the beginning. In New England in 1984, a goodhearted Ben Berger saves a baby's life, leaving him in the care of the Brothers of the monastery at Shepherds Keep. That boy will grow up to be Eli Apple, an orphan with an almost unnatural beauty who possesses a voice from heaven. Over the course of almost four decades, Eli, Ben, and a third boy, Ferris Cooper, who meets them both under very different circumstances, find themselves falling in and out of love and trying, failing, and ultimately succeeding at becoming their best selves. Fathers—and family—come in many different forms in the book, and characters in search of both find them in the most unexpected places. The story moves beautifully and is perfectly controlled, even as its characters travel through time and around the globe. I stayed completely immersed throughout. Law's voice is compassionate, tender, and wise. His book stole my heart."

—P. PARNELL, Playwright

 

"In one astonishing leap, author Lindsay Law vaults into near classic status with this remarkable debut novel, which advertises itself as gay fiction, but with the degree of articulate detail, layered expertise, thrilling characterization, and a plot that extends from New England halfway around the world, defies mere categorization, while taking the reader on a journey of romance, spiritual adventure, and sensual awakening. Law uncorks a riveting narrative impossible to put down. The Orphan From Shepherds Keep delivers the goods on every level, staying wonderfully ahead of the reader to the very last page."

—J. O'BRIEN, Tony-winning stage director

 

"The Orphan From Shepherds Keep is a terrific book. I didn't want to put it down. It is going to be appreciated and loved. The story traverses a period of dramatic social change that affects the lives of the characters. Woven throughout is the author's love of the land, gardens, and cooking...all beautifully described. The scene-setting as well…great detail of place, from the largest elements to the smallest. I love the quotes from books and songs; they resonate with the reader, and their placement is perfect. The richness of those allusions enhances the themes and sets this apart from the typical coming-of-age story."

—P. GELLER, Emmy-winning documentary producer

 

"The Orphan From Shepherds Keep is a cinematic gay coming-of-age page-turner that takes you across the globe in a search for love, self-discovery, and a place in the world."  

—P. GOLDMAN, Real-Estate advisor

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“The prose is wonderful, sure and totally engaging, likewise the structure. It's a complicated, layered story, it rises and gains momentum like a tide coming in, but it's the characters that really do it. Eli is an extraordinary, daring invention! I had a really vivid idea of what he looked like and what his presence felt like, and the idea of his voice was brilliant. Exceptional coming of age, and well done. And the dialogue! So effortless and integrated, clever and right. And the divine Ben and the rogue. Eli's astonishment at coming back to America and wanting to go 'home.' Don't we all, as we stand on the verge of sinking back into the abyss? Aleski is my favorite character. I could go on. Bravo! The Orphan From Shepherds Keep is a really gripping book.”

—K.WALKER, Artist, Photographer, Novelist

 

“The Orphan From Shepard’s Keep is a lyrically written story of finding yourself and finding your sense of family. It traces the lives of three very different, very real people who take different paths in their search for that elusive goal of ‘belonging’—while at the same time discovering who each of them really is. This is a story of friendship, loyalty, and courage. A story of finding your tribe and never letting go. It was a joyful experience to accompany each of them on their journey.”

—D. SHAYON, Corporate Advisor

 

“Though set firmly in the present day, Law’s novel, The Orphan From Shepard’s Keep, displays strong literary roots in the past with the picaresque and far-flung adventures—spiritual and sexual—of its hero Eli, an orphan blessed with the beauty of Tadzio but the behavior of a horny Huck Finn (and the voice of an angel). Crammed full of incidents and characters who elicit empathy even in what might be considered bad behavior,  the novel is unashamedly romantic in its desire for the resolution of the protagonist’s needs. Spanning time and continents, the rural and the urban, the spiritual and the sensual, it never forgets that all these roads can lead to love. And pulls off the trick of making the reader want to stick with every one of the characters every step of the way.”

—S. MEEK, Film & Television Producer

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“The Orphan From Shepard’s Keep is such a beautiful book that spoke to me on so many levels about friendship, being different, what home means, and how complicated that notion can become. It was like reading slices of my life at times. From the moment I started reading it, I was totally pulled into all three of the stories we would follow, and I was always fascinated and surprised to see how they would develop and pull together.

 

Every time I tried to second guess the ending, I was wrong—just when I thought I had worked it all out and was thinking, “Well, this is a rather clever Covid variation on the age-old quest to return home,” the book floored me because as many of us have found—home can never be what it was. The book has turned even that idea on its head, the sense of no longer belonging in your own country. I love the idea of identity because I think that conflict among gay men of a certain age is really complicated. 

 

The Orphan From Shepard’s Keep is unbelievably moving, and when Eli realizes his country is no longer home—It’s something a lot of us are wrestling with but don’t like to speak out loud because…well, what do you do with that idea if you truly believe it? The book has such a huge, huge heart and such love within it…those seemingly odd moments that can happen in childhood that might only be ripples can turn out to be hugely consequential for a child caught in the crossfire of bad adult behavior."

—M. LOWE, Composer, Conductor, Arranger

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"In The Orphan From Shepard’s Keep, so many elements of the characters speak directly to me, from the religious and spiritual aspects to the art and pop culture worlds that I adore. I was transported to so many new and exciting places. I felt a deep connection to the elements of sexual attraction, birth families and the families we choose, and the ever and ongoing search for belongingness. I am compelled to visit so many places in Europe now…Helsinki sounds magical…and OH, have I fantasized so many times in my life about a road trip with a sexy truck driver? 

 

I particularly loved this passage in the book - “God is everywhere. God is like the internet, but instead of providing the information we seek, he is the information. He knows all, sees all, is all. He is the outcome of all input. He is the lover we track down; he is the fire we carelessly start with a flick of our cigarette. He is substance, he is truth, he is love, he is calamity. He is not some corporeal creature who drops in occasionally to fix something or to heal some wounded being. No, he is always here, and despite our ridiculousness, he loves us. He can’t save us, but he provides all the tools we need to save ourselves if we would only pay attention, live more thoughtfully, and maybe watch less TV.”

 

It was a true gift to experience Lindsay’s storytelling and the beautiful world within our own world that you have created for us to enjoy."

—J. MAESTAS, Arts Educator, Performer

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“Lindsay Law has delivered an intelligent, richly detailed novel, The Orphan From Shepherd’s Keep, which is about three young gay men who hold a secret they take with them from a cloistered, remote town in Northern Vermont into the changing adult world where their paths fatefully cross again. As each character grapples with identity, sex, violence, and love, their secret is finally revealed to satisfying effect.”

—BRIAN RISLEY, Los Angeles, CA

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“Lindsay Law’s The Orphan from Shepherds Keep spans three decades in the lives of three men, whose intertwined stories reflect personal struggles and sweeping national changes. The novel begins with Eli Apple, whose angelic falsetto draws both admiration and resentment in his small New England town. His beauty, at first a source of embarrassment, becomes a marker of both opportunity and vulnerability. Ferris Cooper, older and rougher, is drawn to Eli’s voice and presence, while Benjamin Berger enters as a pivotal figure whose bond with each man shapes the path of their lives. Set against the backdrop of shifting American history, the narrative traces the evolution of gay identity and community during times of cultural upheaval.
 

Lindsay Law’s comparison to Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life” and Garth Greenwell’s “Cleanness” is fitting, as The Orphan from Shepherds Keep works similarly to probe the complexities of male intimacy, friendship, and betrayal. The Reagan-era optimism, with its rhetoric of a “shining city on a hill,” contrasts sharply with the violence, political division, and fear that characterize the later years under Donald Trump. The characters’ lives are deeply affected by these national currents, from the joy of marriage equality to the devastation of public shootings and the uncertainties of a global pandemic. This is an affecting exploration of love, survival, and the search for belonging. The combination of lyrical prose and expressive narration creates a story that’s intimate in scope and vast in implication.
 

The narrator’s performance gives depth to the characters’ conversations and arguments. The vocal interpretation amplifies the novel’s themes of beauty, fragility, and desire, making the listening experience more enjoyable. The narrator speaks so that each character has a distinctive voice, making it easy to follow the story.”

—Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite

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The Orphan from Shepherds Keep by Lindsay Law is an engrossing life story of unusually high quality for a debut novel. It is New England, the night before Christmas 1984. The Berger family has unexpected guests—a heavily pregnant girl and two young men. The girl dies in childbirth, and her companions leave the newborn with the Bergers. Overhearing his mother selling the newborn to traffickers, teenage Ben Berger drives the baby to the nearest monastery. Years later, Ben will meet two men—Elijah and Ferris—whose lives will intertwine with Ben’s, revealing a surprising connection to the orphan Ben had rescued. Who are Elijah and Ferris? And how are they all connected? 

 

I listened to the audio version of The Orphan from Shepherds Keep, and from the start, I could not get enough of it. As the plot thickened with the ever-emerging life-shaping, thought-provoking dilemmas, I found myself increasingly thinking this is a riveting, brilliant novel. The life paths of Ben, Elijah, and Ferris proved more sophisticated, thought-provoking, and impressive in their unique unconventionality than I thought. But what resonated with me most was how Lindsay Law made the characters both unique and ordinary at the same time, conveying the importance of LGBT societal inclusivity—bravery, talent, compassion, and love are independent of sexual orientation. If you enjoy thought-provoking stories of eventful lives of complex personalities and your mind is open to a few graphic gay sex scenes, this book will impress you.

 

I enjoyed listening to the audio narration by Bolton Marsh. The performance was clear, and each character had a distinct voice. I particularly enjoyed the singing of the final stanza from the carol “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and I wish Bolton had braved singing the other compositions that were presented as rhymes. But in all other respects, the audio production was commendable. The graphic sex and erotic episodes and sex-orientation dilemmas of young boys as they discover male models make this book inappropriate for younger readers.

—Olga Markova for Readers’ Favorite