Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start
Brad Kessler is a versatile American author whose work spans distinct genres: literary fiction, pastoral memoir, oral history, and children's folklore. Because his novels and non-fiction works are entirely standalone, you do not need to follow a strict chronological sequence. Instead, your starting point should depend on your reading preferences.
For Fiction Lovers: Start with Birds in Fall
If you want to experience Kessler's acclaimed fiction, begin with his 2006 masterpiece, Birds in Fall. Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, this novel is a haunting yet deeply comforting exploration of grief, centering on a group of strangers gathered on a remote Nova Scotia island after a passenger plane crashes off the coast. Kessler uses his background as an amateur ornithologist to weave motifs of bird migration and Greek myth (specifically the Halcyon legend) into a story of human resilience.
For Non-Fiction Fans: Start with Goat Song
If you prefer memoirs or nature writing, start with Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese (2009). This book details Kessler's real-life transition from the fast-paced literary world of New York to Northern Spy Farm in Sandgate, Vermont. It is much more than a simple farming memoir; Kessler blends historical essays on pastoralism, the biology of goats, and the poetry of cheesemaking into a meditative reflection on human-animal connections.
For Social Realism: Read North followed by Deep North
For readers interested in modern issues of migration and community, the pairing of North (2021) and the collaborative collection Deep North (2023) is essential. North is a novel set in a remote Vermont monastery where the paths of a Somali refugee, an Afghan war veteran, and a cloistered monk intersect. To understand the real-life oral histories that inspired this work, follow it immediately with Deep North, a collection of first-person resettlement stories edited by Kessler.
Complete Publication Order of Brad Kessler's Books
While Kessler's books do not share a continuous narrative timeline, reading them in order of publication reveals his evolution from a children's audio dramatist in the 1990s to a mature voice in contemporary literary fiction and rural essays.
Standalone Novels
- Lick Creek (2001) – Kessler's debut novel, set in the 1920s in the coal country of West Virginia, focusing on the arrival of electricity, corporate greed, and a fiery romance.
- Birds in Fall (2006) – A poetic novel dealing with the universal experience of sudden loss and the communal nature of mourning on a windswept Canadian coast.
- North (2021) – A contemporary novel exploring themes of sanctuary, displacement, and the unexpected connections forged between individuals from vastly different worlds.
Memoirs and Edited Collections
- Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese (2009) – A creative non-fiction work charting Kessler's journey into homesteading and the cultural history of pastoral life.
- Deep North: Stories of Somali Resettlement in Vermont (2023) – An oral history project edited by Kessler, preserving the first-person accounts of three Somali immigrants building new lives in New England.
Holiday Fables and Collaborations
- The Woodcutter's Christmas (2001 / Reissued 2025) – A holiday fable combining Kessler's text with black-and-white photography by his wife, Dona Ann McAdams. Inspired by McAdams' photos of discarded city trees, the book contrasts the consumerist rush of Manhattan with the slow rhythms of Vermont's forests. A deluxe, expanded edition was published in October 2025.
Children's Books & Rabbit Ears Adaptations
Before publishing his first adult novel, Kessler worked extensively as a writer for Rabbit Ears Productions, adapting classic folk stories, legends, and biblical tales into picture books and star-studded audiobooks.
- Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion (1993/1996) – A lively retelling of the classic Southern folktale, famously narrated in audio format by Danny Glover.
- John Henry (1995) – An adaptation of the legendary American folk hero, featuring audio narration by Denzel Washington and music by B.B. King.
- The Firebird (1996) – A retelling of the Russian fairy tale, which earned a Storytelling World Award and featured audio narration by Susan Sarandon.
- Moses the Lawgiver (1996) – A biblical adaptation written for the Rabbit Ears series, narrated in audio by Ben Kingsley.
- Moses in Egypt (1997) – Another script focusing on the early life of Moses, narrated in audio by Danny Glover.
- Tom Thumb (2012) – A printed adaptation of the classic tale of the tiny boy at King Arthur's court. While the audio version (narrated by John Cleese with music by Elvis Costello) originated in the 1990s, the illustrated book version was published in 2012.
What to Know Before You Start
Brad Kessler's writing style is defined by a poetic, lyrical quality that reflects his mentorship under renowned nature writer Annie Dillard at Wesleyan University. Across all his works, Kessler demonstrates a deep empathy for outsiders, refugees, and those experiencing profound displacement—whether historical, geographic, or emotional.
Readers should note that his fiction and non-fiction are closely intertwined. The years he spent working with the local Somali refugee community in Vermont not only shaped the narrative of his novel North but also led directly to the publication of the non-fiction oral history Deep North. Furthermore, Kessler is committed to the causes he writes about, having donated the North American royalties of North to the Vermont office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.