The Revelation of Beatrice Darby

by Jean Copeland

How much courage does it take to be yourself? In a decade when good girls conform to strict family and social expectations, Beatrice Darby is about to find out. After a harmless admiration for her older boss, sophisticated Abby Gill, blossoms into a full-blown crush, Beatrice is startled to discover why she’s never felt like other girls. She soon learns the necessity of “passing,” the shame of secret “sin,” and the pressure to meet family expectations, all while suffering the angst of unrequited love and the disastrous end to her friendship with college roommate and future sister-in-law, Gwen Ridgeway. When Abby reappears years later, can Beatrice go against all she’s ever known to be happy? Will she have to choose between honesty and her family?

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Historical, Fiction, Historical Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2015

About the author

Jean Copeland is a writer and English/language arts teacher at an alternative high school in Connecticut. Taking a chance on a second career in her thirties, Jean graduated summa cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University with a BS in English education and an MS in English/creative writing. She has published numerous short fiction and essays online and in print anthologies. In addition to the thrill of watching her students discover their talents in creative writing and poetry, she enjoys the escape of writing, summer decompression by the shore, and good wine and conversation with friends. Organ donation and shelter animal adoption are causes dear to her heart. The Revelation of Beatrice Darby is Jean’s debut novel.

Reviews

[Kerry Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. As one "reviewer" on here wrote, she didn't finish the story and therefore gave a reduced rating. That's ridiculous. You can't fully rate something you didn't fully complete. Now had she taken the time to finish, maybe she would have shared some of these thoughts:

I've finished the story, and I already want to know where the characters are "now". How did they fare in the upcoming decades? (I'm purposely being vague, as to not give away any of the plotlines.) I finished the story with tears in my eyes, knowing it was the end.... I've already written to the author and asked that she continue on.... sequel, series, both? :)

I think why this story touched me so much is this. I have a gay brother. It's part of who he is. It is not WHO he is. I remember when he came out to the family, it really wasn't much of a shock... and it was a relief that he was finally ready to confide in us. I remember my reaction as being... "okay, so where we going for dinner?" followed by a big hug. He's honestly one of my favorite human beings on the planet, and Beatrice's "revelations" helped me understand so much of what he must have been going through. Beatrice touches on this in the book when she asks "do you think I would have chosen this for myself? the scrutiny, being different than others?" I put quotes, but I am paraphrasing, as I don't remember her exact sentiment.... but I DO remember my brother saying similar words.

I think people owe it to themselves to read this, if only to perhaps better understand. Love is love. If you want to bring religious fervor into it, then that's your decision, but I truly believe that if God intended for us to "do onto others as I have done onto you", it means LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Such a simple request, yet so much of the world can't fathom it.

Jean, I applaud your book. I applaud your strength and your beautiful storytelling abilities.

[Judikt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Revelation of Beatrice Darby" is not your typical coming of age romance book, oh no, it is an incredible journey through the years alongside the most sympathetic protagonist I’ve had the pleasure of following. Don’t get me wrong though, the main characters are certainly not perfect, indeed, Beatrice made some questionable choices through the story, most of which are falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time, she can also be selfish and stubborn, on the other hand we have Abby who want to conform to society's expectations, seeking a life devoid of any pressure and bigotry regarding her sexuality, and thus avoiding anything that might bring attention to her life even if it goes against her dreams and desire for freedom.

The antagonists are not your typical one dimensional villains either, Beatrice mother is a conservative woman, strongly set on her ways, she lives in a fantasy world where keeping appearance is a must, she have her own idea of happiness and expectations for her children.

All of the characters shine by their complexity, you’ll be hard pressed not to feel emotional and empathize with them. The prose flow naturally, the subplots ties nicely, however I just wish the author had given more substance to Abby and Beatrice love story, we didn’t see them interact enough to understand their falling in love with each other.

For a debut novel, Jean Copeland certainly provided us with a vivid story and I sure hope to read more of her work.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read which brought a tear or 2 as I ponder on the relationship which Beatrice had with her Mum.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beatrice crushes hard on her boss, librarian Abby, and her college roommate-turned-sister in law Gwen, between 1958 and 1968. This suffers from a long time period, where entire years are skipped over. Seeing Bea's struggle with passing and her frustration with needing to was interesting, but none of her relationships ever had much weight or depth because of all the skipping.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted @ readaholiczone.blogspot.com

It is rare for me not to find some aspect of a book that I do not have an issue with so can you imagine how stunning a read this must be that I loved every single part of it. The story takes place in the late 1950’s and 60’s and the author reflected this era remarkably well from society's beliefs regarding women and gays down to the style of language used back then. Character development is outstanding for all the characters, even the minor ones. This book takes place around the main character Beatrice Darby, who is intelligent, resolute, and does not feel ashamed for being a lesbian. Even with her family, they could love her as who she is or not be a part of her life at all. Beatrice worked hard to have the life she wanted therefore not giving into the standards of that time or her mother pushing nonstop for her to wed due to the importance of her being true to herself. Through all of this, the author found ways to inject a great amount of humor.

While reading The Revelation of Beatrice Darby, I felt like I was actually living in that era through someone else’s eyes. As a lesbian in today's world, I am still not an equal, but it is not as dire as it was back then. Sadly, this read tells perfectly what the role of the woman during that time was to be and that was to get married, have children and keep your husband happy. Even if a woman got the opportunity to go to college it was to meet a man. This book will make you cry, it will make you laugh, and jump for joy while people fight for what is right. This is Jean Copeland's first book. I am waiting impatiently for her next.


“Your father was a no-account who had me squeezing nickels till Jefferson farted”
~Beatrice imitating her mother

Thank you Netgalley for letting me give an honest review

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

This is a wonderful story about a woman and her journey to a happy gay life. Growing up in a catholic family didn't made it easy. It's very captivating to follow Beatrice on her way to find her real personality. With seventeen, she has found her first love, Abby, with she's working together in the library of her hometown. But Abby broke her heart when she was fired and moved away.
During her college time away from home she discovers more and more about herself and she tries very hard to fit in the "normal" world, to fulfill the expectations of her mother and the society. She wanted to get married with her boyfriend, but before this could happen, she coincidentally meets Abby again. She has never forgotten her first love. Could there be more, now that she wasn't a kid anymore? Or does she marry her boyfriend? You have to look for yourself.
This story is very well written. I could feel with Beatrice, as she struggles to find her real person. To accompany her on her journey was a wonderful time for me.
I have won this book during the Hootenanny of "Woman & Words", thank you very much Jane Copeland and W&W.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 45%. I really could not get through this book. The novel takes place over several years, but only "key" events are explored. Every scene revolves around the same key issues (am I gay, and is that okay?), and by halfway through the book nothing has really happened. The characters are flat, and mainly revealed through dialogue or the repetition of their character flaws over multiple scenes. Beatrice's mother, for example, apparently is medicated for anxiety that we never see, and Beatrice's first roommate is so promiscuous that "she has to go," even though we only see her in one scene. And the main characters are no more developed. Lack of developed characters paired with no real changes in the characters by halfway through the book prevented me from finishing.

I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[isa Simonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very pleasant read. I’m not terribly fan of the flashbacks, because it’s a story in a story and we know this one ends badly. It’s true that I’ve preferred her last book. So, 4.5 for me and read it, it’s great !

[Angie Engles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five little words can sum up exactly how I feel about this treasure of a book: I love it so much.

[Heather F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This book was ok. The writing style was poor and the plot line was thin and almost queer-baity at times, but it was a sweet historical fiction. My main complaint would be how impervious Beatrice seemed to her own identity and how it seemed like it was the fault of her Mommy issues.

[Hajer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was amazing. It was a drama filled, suspenseful, and very interesting. The way the book was set up within the characters, narration, and dialog was perfect. I could read this book about 100 more times.

[Eboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled between a 3 and a 4. Not because it wasn't a good story. Despite what some say, the majority of the characters were were well developed. The questioning, discovery, and acceptance that Beatrice went through was very realistic. I did like the development of Beatrice and Abby. Some people want this long drawn out romance but sometimes it's just talking and realizing. The stubbornness of Beatrice was mind boggling. Luckily she had Ricky to shed some light that he rightly pointed out that she was protected from.

All the back characters were, in my opinion, great. The mother, the brother, the sister in law, and even the old friend. Beatrice didn't realize how lucky she was. It wasn't easy but considering the time of the story; she was better off than many.

I really can't say what didn't make it a 4. Something felt missing...

[Cindy Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book opens in 1957. Beatrice is 17 years old and is working in the local library for Miss Gill before Beatrice heads off to college. Beatrice soon realizes that she is attracted to Miss Gill (Abby) and at one point kisses her and then visits a local gay bar where Abby is there with her friends. Because Beatrice is under-age, Abby rejects her. Abby heads off to college and soon falls in love with her best friend, who is straight. Heartbroken, Beatrice goes to NYC to get her masters.

This book has the feel of a pulp novel from the 1950s. At times I struggled to read it because a lot of it (Beatrice's mother pushing her to get married) was repetitive. The writing was okay but not strong on description. All in all I'm going with a 3.

[Joanna Oddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very sweet book. It does include some hard hitting issues but they’re handled in a way that doesn’t make it too uncomfortable for the reader. This is the kind of story every gay woman should read to realise how easy we have it now and how far we have come in such a short time period. Beatrice Darby is a very likeable main character and I found her stubbornness and determination refreshing.

[Wynnde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows Beatrice Darby on her journey from a 17 year old girl who has no idea who she is, through college where she knows who she is but tries to deny it, to a 28 year old woman who knows exactly who she is and refuses to deny it or be ashamed. There’s a love story, yes, but it’s more of a character study. I was rooting for Bea the whole way through as she grew to know and love herself and she’s firmly in the top 5 of my favorite lesfic characters now. This book is already on my re-read list. Thanks, Jean.

[Jean Brazil · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting coming of age story. Beatrice is a young girl growing up in 1950's New England. She gradually realizes that she is lesbian and the story follows her into young adulthood. Just okay.

[Barbara J. Nesbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from beginning to end. I felt like I was reading my story, several similarities. Very we’ll written kept my interest, and has a happy ending. Highly recommend for any one fron that era 60’s.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, funny debut novel about a young woman navigating family and social expectations against her true feelings as an independent queer woman.

[nisie draws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially the first half, which was rich with period setting details. Bea is a great character and it was fun to watch her come of age and find herself. The second half seemed to drag a bit, as Bea kept looking for validation from her family, and I kept wishing she would just give up on it and live her life.
However, the ending is satisfying as Bea finds a level of peace with her family while living her truth.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book I would normally read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down but had to to join in Christmas festivities. I loved the history even though that was what I wasn't sure of at first. I could relate to the small town and not knowing anything about lesbians, in my case until a lot later. I loved Abby and Beatrice and was cheering for them to get together. Thank you for a wonderful book

[Merrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps a little underwhelming in overall delivery, but it was a nice romantic story of a young woman's coming of age and self-discovery. I would be interested in more books by Jean Copeland, in the future.

Satisfied the LGBTQ Challenge for #ReadHarder

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was there, the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more though. I think that the author needs a bit more time working on her writing and making it stronger to create even more amazing works. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging!

[Becko · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, fun read. Had a day off, sat and read in one day. Will definitely check out her next novel.