Slant

by Katherine O'Donnell

  'A heartfelt celebration of all kinds of queer love' ― Alice Linehan,  Gay Community News   

  A ground-breaking Irish lesbian love story, set across the decades from the 1980s AIDS crisis to the 2015 marriage referendum.  

 Ro McCarthy, single in her fifties and working a quiet job, is sustained by her love of books and her deep friendships. Although she still doesn't approve of marriage – not even for the straights – she is canvassing for yes in the 2015 marriage equality referendum. But, as the ghosts of her activist past join her on the campaign trail and her eagerness to confront a familiar discrimination turns to obsession and fury, Ro must finally face the long-buried trauma and loss of her youth.  

 Thirty years earlier, Ro is a young Cork woman living her best life in Boston, undocumented and working multiple jobs, making life-long friends, and falling in love with Jenny. Soon, however, the young gay men who have become Ro's new family – from Ireland and elsewhere – begin to die. Shocked and grieving, she finds purpose in AIDS activism and a community that is loving and living against all odds. In the wake of this macabre heyday which Ro just about survives, her charged entanglement with Jenny will bear witness to the resistance and survival of an invisible generation of warriors.  

 Slant is a headbutt to the heart, told from within a protective community, that will reveal and celebrate all the kinds of love needed to sustain a life. 

Genres: Queer, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Lesbian, Irish Literature

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2023

Reviews

[Ciara Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this will go down as one of the more important books I've read in my 20's. The development of the characters was so direct and honest, and it made the emotion of the plotline feel visceral. I was moved to tears multiple times while reading this. As a young adult queer I think it is so important to learn about the generations that came before us, and yet it is so profound to see the struggles we are still dealing with today. I found myself relating heavily to the protagonist, Ro. The compassion I felt for her genuinely makes me want to be kinder to myself. Incredible, incredible book.

[Jessica Bergkvist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed and I cried and my heart was broken and my heart was lifted. Honestly the best book I’ve read in a long time. What a wonderful read.

[Rachel Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, but by god, I loathe Terri.

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit let down by the second half for me, perhaps because it spent so long in 1984-85 that it seemed then to speedrun the remaining 30 years of narrative, including the events that should have had the most emotional impact but didn't

Rep: lesbian mc & side characters, gay side characters, Indian American gay side character

CWs: homophobia, AIDS-related deaths, suicide

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, I found O'Donnell's writing style to be beautiful to read and I can't believe it is her debut novel! The narrative is an important one, and she blends the character development within the traumatic time frame exceptionally well. Ro was a brilliant, empathetic character that kept you engaged, whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not.

[Katie Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely ruined me. Each chapter better than the last, each chapter name having a nod to the best songs! Reading about found family is so special to me! So so good!!

[bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I haven't read a book where I connected with the main character so in a long time. I want to give Ro a hug

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow. i basically finished this today in one sitting, and really enjoyed it. extremely sad, and a reminder of the memoir ‘all the young men’ i had read before and must reread. but yeah, a very heavy and tough but necessary read that i’m looking forward to study and look at in more depth and with more context definitely

[George Kermond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read this book for over two years and I would say it was worth the wait! It’s written so beautifully and a heart wrenching plot

[evelyn]

"I am an all-round great audience. I love live performances of every kind: music, plays, dance, sport. The accomplishment of the performers isn't why I'm there. I'm there because there are real people who are performing and I have yet to get tired of being grateful and surprised by people who let us join in their explorations of the beating hearts in this swirling world. I love to look at anything people call art, although I never think to judge it - it simply makes me happy that people will share the art they make in an effort to touch me, to move me."

[James Durkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster of emotions. It was slow to start but once it did it was beautiful. What didn’t this cover - the Irish immigrant experience, the LGBTQ+ experience from a range of backgrounds, unrequited love, unhappiness, friendship, the AIDS crisis, the Irish marriage equality referendum. This has something for everyone. It was different for me to read an LGBTQ+ novel from the L POV. There was great character progression and even made sense for the unlikeable characters (I’m looking at you Terri). I would die for John and Clara, and in a way Ro. There was no plot point undiscussed. Everything got its own ending. I was heartbroken by this read. Lived for, and Loved.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got more emotional than I expected to, especially in the chapters towards the end where O'Donnell writes about the run up to the Referendum. I guess it made me realize I hold a lot of anxiety from around that time period.
I absolutely loved this book, her voice is comforting and witty, the epitome of what Irish writers are known for.
I'm telling all my queer friends about this book. It feels like Irish gays version of 'Stone Butch Blues'

[Hexenwelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly beautiful book, that stayed on my mind for days after. "Slant" is a masterwork, a portrait of a time and place and community. It reminded me a little of "Mayflies" by Andrew O'Hagan, which is among my few five star-rated books as well. I firmly believe, that the fact that Slant is not as widely known or critically acclaimed is purely to be attributed towards its outward queerness and its focus on queer women in particular.

Now first things first, a lot of the reviews address pacing issues, but I disagree. "Slant" is written as if protagonist Ro McCarthy writes an autobiography. I believe the heavy focus on two topics: Young Ro's life in Boston and P-Town in the 80s, which is written about in heavy detail and at places day to day, and later the 2015 marriage referendum is by no means a pacing problem, but reflects the protagonists view on her own life, her two defining moments in life. Thus what others have described as a pacing issue, for me was a beautiful way of the author to highlight the mental state and feelings of her protagonist.

Throughout the book and especially after her return from the US to Ireland it is made clear, that Ro sees P-Town as a sort of closed, but defining chapter of her life. When the postman intercepts the pictures and letter sent to her parents by her ex Terri, Ro burns all of them. Not only her nude pics, which might be attributed to not wanting to have anything to do with her left behind and emotionally abusive relationship with Terri, but her protest pictures as well.
Ro remains openly lesbian in Ireland, but she still differentiates herself from the political queer life she lived during her time in P-Town. She has left behind a part of her with the family that died, she gave up on her activism regarding the AIDS-crisis. She notes, that her parents, particularly her father, would have no understanding of civil disobedience. She closes this moment of her life, beginning a new one.

This political queerness returns to haunt her though, with the 2015 marriage referendum. Her leaving P-Town was abrupt and incredibly painful, large parts of her queer found family have died, her relationship has revealed itself as emotionally abusive. She cuts herself out of the situation and even though she is against the concept of marriage itself, the political struggle for equal marriage, the question of if the people are still as hateful as they have been in her youth- Ro tears open wounds which she never gave the chance to heal properly.

Obsessively she campaigns, goes from door to door and drinks in each resounding no and all the reasons people give for their homophobia. She herself describes this state as an addiction. It summits in a straight couple going campaigning with her. With a fervent delight Ro tells her friend of the way the public hate towards their gay son is revealed towards the couple and the way the mother falters under this revelation. For Ro it is a "So now you see, don't you"- moment, born out of her own profound hurt. In her reawakened political fervor Ro just wants them, the world, to understand the pain that has been and is caused to queer people by politics.

In the end, she writes their names into the world. I cried bitterly, not when all these beautiful people, Ro's found family, these wonderful boys died, but in the end, when she wrote their names. When she recounted their lives in simple words, for the world to see. When she wrote in her conclusion, of the way she wanted to preserve them forever. Because that is, what the book was for Ro herself. A way to write her friends into immortality, and thus, even for just a little bit, heal the wounds left by their passing. A way to finally find a speck of justice for her friends whom she loved so, so much.

I believe, that in the seeming subjective detachment in which the boys deaths are described and the long heavy focus on P-Town and the marriage referendum [For me these focusses] are not pacing issue, but perfect in the way, that they aid in the portrayal of Ro McCarthy, a, as the author herself describes her, inglorious and unsung hero which stood behind the rigorous fight against the injustice wrought by governments and society in the wake of the AIDS-crisis.

Aside from the fight against AIDS and the themes of found family, "Slant" is of course a portrait of queer people at a certain time and place. Ro McCathy often notes, the difference between her and later generations of queer people and highlights the way in which queer people used to rely on complex communal structures, which has, in her opinion, given way to a desire to fit in with the norm. To hear about this perspective of queer elders is enlightening to young queer people like me I believe and I'd like to think, that Ro would maybe see less distance between her and some parts of the younger queer movements, which are unapologetically and widely political, which regain some of that community, in which terms like "queerplatonic partner" and all sorts of relationships have emerged, which claim their place in the world just as they are, especially in the trans, Black and disabled queer spaces. But maybe this is just wishful thinking. Who knows. In the end, we still struggle against homophobia, and so, as Ro herself puts it, there is connection between us always, because what is a better common factor than struggling against good old hate. What is certain, is that this time is never coming back and Katherine O'Donnell has given us an invaluable insight into this time and place and the people who have fought before us and paved our ways.

Of course, I dare not forget to mention illegal immigration and the way "Slant" lovingly humanizes the people behind stereotypes and numbers presented in the news.

A definite and surrounding five stars and certainly one of the most important books I have read this year.

[Seán Horgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

made it eleven days into the new year before crying in public! let’s goooooooooo

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

even as I loved this book (and it made me cry), i still feel conflicted about how much of the bookended narrative was spent on the marriage referendum in ireland…but maybe im just too much of a gen z and don’t understand how significant it was to canvass for same sex marriage (but then again we still dont technically have gay marriage legalized in virginia)
I think this mostly a pacing issue, which comes from this being the author’s first novel. really loved the handling of grief/loss/death/emigration with irish diasporic writing, although it didnt really give any space to the economic/legal reality of non-white immigrants in america.

[Anne Donnelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

[Julia Veith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story about queer bodies, illness, philosophy, and stupid love. And how all of those things affect our day to day rather than the grand moments when our lives change trajectory. I really loved the 1984 bits, but I will say after Joel died it dragged on for me. Also like bruh break up with Terri already Jesus Christ. and also the dramatic reveal that Mels had died? It just unraveled too much at the end, but i am deeply in love with Ro McCarthy

[elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books i’ve read this year. beautifully written while still being so very enjoyable, heartbreaking and personal. “slant” is immediately engaging, and soon enough into reading i just could not put it down. just perfect

[olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5]

Slant is my first lesbian queer novel, and just as i am fascinated by the different narrative voices of countries, i find that lesbian and gay novels also carry distinct differences as well. Ro, who we follow, is someone i would categorize as a Demon Copperhead-archetype in terms of narration: she is witty, relatable, and likeable, but not without her faults.

i joke every time i tell a friend, "every queer book is tragic" or how "i've never read a happy book set in ireland." yet, Slant is no exception. love is ephemeral, and people are marked for death. Ro is no stranger to these ideas. despite it all, feelings, hope, and memories last forever.

"i have yet to get tired of being grateful and surprised by people who let us join in their explorations of the beating hearts in this swirling world."

something very interesting to consider is the title of the novel. Slant is not titled by O'Donnell for the story of Ro, at least, not really. instead, it is titled by Ro, for Ro, as she reflects on the experiences of her youth. Dickinson's "Tell all the truth but tell it slant" is a short poem that discusses telling the truth in an indirect, roundabout way because the pure, straightforward truth is difficult to bear. aside from Ro's love for poetry and Dickinson, we see how this poem resonates in her narrative. she only comes to reflection and narration because she recognizes how the ghosts of her past have come back to "haunt" her.

Slant is a beautiful story about life, loss, love, grief, and the what should have and could have been. Ro is introspective to a fault, which often reminds me of myself, but it makes way for a great understanding of her character. beyond all i have written and reflected on, it is also a very poignant piece about the AIDS pandemic (there was a moment when reading this book when i realized that all the boys that Ro loved—and that i loved in tandem—were going to die from AIDS. this is not a spoiler, i only remembered this fact because it is stated on the blurb). and in today's political climate, i cannot help but imagine how many people are Ro—slanted in their own narrative.

"i said 'i think i mean something different every time I say that, I love you. i think it's a different thing every time.'
you turned towards me in a half-pause, 'i mean the same thing every time.'
and i knew that was true.
i knew that was true and i ached, because i uniquely loved you every struck moment, and you loved me constantly."

[Deece de Paor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Marriage Equality Act in Ireland in 2015 was a really big deal and a huge stride towards progress in what seemed to be quite a homophobic society.

This is where Katherine O’Donnell chose to start this story (that reads like memoir) as she recalls her life as an older lesbian, coming out in Boston, having multiple gay friends die of AIDS in the 80s to having friends screwed by inheritance laws because they were not allowed to marry.

Marriage was the cloak that could hide homophobia and indeed, O’Donnell does not shy away from exposing the many ways microaggressions towards the gay community can manifest, usually by parents.

The protagonist Ro becomes an activist but not the angry type, the effective type.
Ro was a bit of a country bumpkin and while I might have preferred if this was written in a more academic way (O’Donnell is an academic but alas an acupuncture enthusiast- gah!!!) this probably had more appeal in showing the identity struggle for an average Joe in a heteronormative world.

The details of her softball career were frankly inaccurate. Hitting a strike? Was that a thing?

[Catherine Nikolajeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful, heartfelt read that will strike a chord with a lot of young and queer Irish people, particularly those who have had to move abroad. Slant is a beautifully spun story about chosen family and the personal being political. I was frequently crying, particularly towards the middle of the book (positive).

Slant is a book that, to me, centred friendship and community in a way that’s rare for the genre. Romance is definitely present, but it’s framed in this coming-of-age way that makes it feel like simply another part of Ro’s self-discovery, not overshadowing anything else.

I echo the reviews that have pointed out that Slant seems to lose its way towards the end —while Ro’s farewell to her Boston friends feels organic and nicely tied up, some of the other less-developed plot points fade away into the background.

[Niamh Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you leave the book knowing the main character, flaws and all, you can consider the character creation good and the less likeable characters like Terri actually annoy you! I was so moved by characters specific experiences of discrimination, some of which I do recall seeing as part of the referendum. While some of the content was expected or previously experienced in literature, I feel like I also learned alot and it felt very personal to thr author and authentic. The book also included some questionable practices, opinions re other parts of the rainbow tonthe character speaking so it relt like it might highlight the lived experience of LGBTQ People while also being less than perfect. I was heartbroken by the end and also felt that it was a very 3d representation of success and joy and that it means different things to different people.

[aela · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely blown away by this book and shocked by the anger and grief it manages to convey about the aids epidemic and ongoing homophobia both home and abroad while still managing to highlight the beauty and inner complexity of queer relationships. i don't know if a book has ever succeeded in making me cry while not actively reading it, like i would find myself crying after work having read it on the bus into work in the morning. i had the privilege of attending a few of Katherine o Donnells lectures and am so upset this book hadn't been written at the time so i could have talked with them about it, such an inspiring piece nothing has made we want to get started on my own fiction like this before.

[Macarena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo que más me gustó es que hace un recorrido por la historia del movimiento de liberación queer en Irlanda. Sí creo que la parte de activismo en EEUU es la menos verosímil, por lo que me pregunto si era necesario hacer que la protagonista este tantos años ahí. Lo más flojo me pareció la historia de amor entre la protagonista y Jenny, que sentí como un personaje bastante chato. Lo más logrado del libro me parecieron los capítulos que hablan de la campaña por la legalizacion del matrimonio en 2015, las historias eran muy interesantes y dejaban entrever toda una cultura y cómo las microviolencias pueden terminar marcandote de forma profunda

[darcey mcallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. i didn’t stop crying from about 68% through till the end.
i won’t lie, i hated how this book started, didn’t give a shit about the narration style and couldn’t be bothered to persevere through the weird shit with Terri. that being said, i wasn’t about to let £8.99 go to waste and im so fucking glad I didn’t. what a beautiful and rich story.

admittedly there were pacing issues, PARTICULARLY TOWARDS THE END… and i wouldn’t say o’donnell’s writing is necessarily elegant - however - what it IS is raw and truthful, and you can’t help but fall in love with the boys from p-town. an absolute must read.

[Molly Geoghegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too easy to fall in love with all the characters (except Terri of course).

Too easy to be heartbroken!!

Slow to start and some odd pacing things with the Jenny storyline but I really enjoyed how the bulk of the story was framed around the referendum and Ro didn’t leave Boston until Clara died - the first person in America to really see her.

Communicated the rage of activism when there’s something to be lost, the beauty and joy of finding queer community and all from an Irish immigrant perspective.

Loved it overall.

[H_H · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were many moments where I found myself close to tears, but the ending really made me cry. This was a very emotional read for me and I loved every second of it. The last two pages really made me sob.

"I want me and Jenny to be forever on that summer evening towpath."

"And then I said, 'I think I mean something different every time I say that, I love you. I think it's a different think every time.' You turned towards me in a half-pause, 'I mean the same thing every time.' And I knew that was true."

[Gwynne Capiraso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I read while avoiding uni my dissertation and it was so good!! Slant follows Irish lesbian Ro as she campaigns for the marriage referendum in 2015 and recalls her time living in Boston during the 80s at the height of the AIDS crisis. You watch her find and lose some incredible friends to the disease, all of whom are described in such incredible color that I don’t doubt that many of these people actually existed in the author’s life. Ro also dates the absolute craziest girl ever and simultaneously finds the love of her life (a different girl). I was infuriated by their inability to just work things out and be together, but I suppose that’s just lesbians. I loved all of the Irish-in-America-isms, the fiery old Bostonian woman that Ro took care of as a part time job, and the writer’s thematic depiction of the deep-seated feeling that society might act like they accept you then turn their back on you when it really matters - in the 80s with AIDS and, in Ro’s trauma-steeped mind, maybe in the 2015 equal marriage referendum too. We know how it turned out though, so I left this book feeling hopeful!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Wow. WOW. What? Wow. Yes.
Slant follows Ro as she lands in Boston working under the table and gets herself into all sorts of lesbian shenanigans. We follow Ro as she falls in love, chases love, makes deep connections with friends, and overall, lives. This book is truly a celebration of queer life and history. I am so glad I picked up this book. I have a feeling this will be sitting with me for a long time.

[Kathryn Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story of a young Irish Catholic lesbian coming to terms with her identity and her search for a community in the early 1980s. I remember the early days of the AIDS epidemic well, but this story provides an insiders point of view that is haunting. Gave it a 3* rating because the writing is funny at times (great Irish slang), but it reads too much like 'and this happened, and then this happened' - it reads more like a list of events than a complex, fully flushed out tale.