Downloading The Orphan From Shepherds Keep: Three Men, Three Intertwined Lives, One Rightful Place in Each Other's Heart - a Gay Novel

Over a period of thirty years, three gay men struggle to define themselves and make their mark on a turbulent and unwelcoming world that is so filled with anger that love has become a luxury.

The townsfolk describe him as “prettier than a boy should be.” ELI APPLE is embarrassed by such remarks but soon learns to celebrate all the pleasures his beauty invites. He possesses the voice of an angel and the sound of his tender falsetto echoes throughout the green forests that surround his New England home. A rough, older boy, FERRIS COOPER, dazzled by the youngster’s loveliness and captivated by the hymns he sings, secretly follows him on his daily walks. And into both their lives arrives BENJAMIN BERGER, savior to one and beloved by the other. The adventures of these three men become entwined in a surprising tapestry of love and betrayal over the course of thirty years.

Straddling the worlds of music, religion, and art, and set in an era that begins with Ronald Reagan describing America as a “shining city on a hill” and ends with Donald Trump’s legacy of “American carnage,” these characters come of age while America is coming apart. They celebrate as gay marriage is legalized and suffer as gun violence explodes across the country. And when a deadly virus threatens and nations close their borders, they must struggle to survive in an America they no longer recognize.

Emulating the warmth and complexity of male friendships as portrayed in Hannah Yanagihara’s A LITTLE LIFE while also embracing the earthy sensuality of the same-sex couples in Garth Greenwell’s CLEANNESS, the characters in THE ORPHAN FROM SHEPHERDS KEEP are real and imperfect and utterly unforgettable.

"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."
—P. PARNELL, Playwright

"A journey of romance, spiritual adventure, and sensual awakening."
—J. O'BRIEN, Tony-Winning Stage Director

"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; Television Executive

" 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

"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."
—K.WALKER, Artist, Photographer, Novelist

"This is a story of friendship, loyalty, and courage. A story of finding your tribe and never letting go."
—D. SHAYON, Corporate Advisor

"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."
—S. MEEK, Film & Television Producer

"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

"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 . "
—J. MAESTAS, Arts Educator, Performer

"If you want to read an intelligent, richly detailed gay novel whose characters will break your heart and haunt you, read The Orphan From Shepherd's Keep.
—BRIAN RISLEY, Los Angeles, CA

Lindsay Law has produced scores of television plays, dozens of films, in addition to a pair of productions on Broadway. Many of these works have been nominated for Emmys, Tonys, and Oscars. He was the Executive Producer for the PBS drama series, AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE from 1981 to 1995. He was the President of Fox Searchlight Pictures from 1995 to 2000. He lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut. This is his first novel. You can read more about him on his website-lindsaylaw.net. If you enjoyed this book and the time you spent with these characters, help spread the word on-line, at your local bookshop, and directly with your friends. The author would enjoy hearing about your experience while reading this book and invites you to ask any questions you may have about this story and his story.