Some Go Hungry

by J. Patrick Redmond

Some Go Hungry is a fictional account drawn from the author's own experiences working in his family's provincial Indiana restaurant--and wrestling with his sexual orientation--in a town that was rocked by the scandalous murder of his gay high school classmate in the 1980s. Now a young man who has embraced his sexuality, Grey Daniels returns from Miami Beach, Florida, to Fort Sackville, Indiana, to run Daniels' Family Buffet for his ailing father. Understanding that knowledge of his sexuality may reap disastrous results on his family's half-century-old restaurant legacy--a popular Sunday dinner spot for the after-church crowd--Grey struggles to live his authentic, openly gay life. He is put to the test when his former high school lover--and fellow classmate of the murdered student--returns to town as the youth pastor and choir director of the local fundamentalist Christian church. Some Go Hungry is the story of a man forced to choose between the happiness of others and his own joy, all the while realizing that compromising oneself--sacrificing your soul for the sake of others--is not living, but death.

"Redmond...successfully captures the spirit and ethos of the place while telling an emotionally resonant, page-turning story." -- Booklist

"This literary mystery follows Grey Daniels on a return trip to his hometown of Fort Sackville, Indiana where, decades earlier, one of his gay classmates was brutally murdered. While visiting, Grey must confront a painful past riddled in homophobia, secrets, religious hypocrisy and fear."--Queerty

"Anyone who has come out in small-town America will understand how difficult it is to be who you are when the majority of customers at your family restaurant are the same ones you just saw in church.... Some Go Hungry is at its best when confronting religious prejudice, and is even pulse-quickening when the narrator sits through one of his friend's sermons aimed directly at him....Only someone who has grown up in rural America could write so convincingly of the pressures there. It's also refreshing to find a book that relates the experience of being gay somewhere other than in a large city."-- Gay & Lesbian Review

"A gay murder mystery that takes readers from Miami Beach, Florida to Fort Sackville, Indiana, as Grey Daniels 'struggles to live his authentic, openly gay life' amidst the fundamentalist Christians in his hometown."-- Bay Area Reporter

"Captivating debut...[Protagonist] Grey's tale is a lesson for us all that only when we consider our own feelings first will we find happiness--and acceptance."-- Edge Media Network

"Redmond's fiction isn't an attempt to recap historical events. The fictional news reports of character Robbie Palmer's alleged murder interspersed between chapters, and the 'homophobia' that engulfs the fictional town of Fort Sackville, is a platform from which the author can express his sincere concern regarding real-life situations that occur in our modern world."-- Boomer Magazine

"I was totally engrossed in what I read...An important tale that in some ways is timeless...We read of bigotry, religion, murder, and personal redemption in small-town America as told by a new writer who is a master storyteller and whom I expect to be hearing about in the near future."-- Reviews by Amos Lassen

"Patrick Redmond has filled his first novel with passion--the passion to tell a story that resonates far beyond the confines of the small Indiana town where it is set. Some Go Hungry tells an important tale that in some ways is timeless, and in other ways could have been ripped from today's headlines."-- Mark Childress , author of Crazy in Alabama Part of Akashic's Kaylie Jones Books imprint

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Contemporary

226 pages, Paperback

Published May 17, 2016

About the author

J. PATRICK REDMOND was born and raised in southern Indiana and recently returned to his home state after sixteen years of living in South Florida and teaching for the Miami-Dade County Public School System. Presently he teaches English Composition at the University of Southern Indiana.

Patrick holds a BA in English from Florida International University in Miami and an MFA in creative writing and literature from Stony Brook University in Southampton, New York. He is a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post, and his writing has appeared in the NOH8 Campaign blog, the Southampton Review, and in the Barnes & Noble Review’s Grin & Tonic. He is also the 2012 recipient of the Deborah Hecht Memorial Prize in Fiction.

Some Go Hungry is his first novel, and when asked about it, Patrick says, “It’s about God, guns, gays, and green beans.” Additional information is available at jpatrickredmond.com.

Reviews

[Mia Siegert]

I have no clue what to think of this book. :( I'm trying to figure out a way to leave a review but I don't want it to sound mean because there's definitely merit.

The beginning was super promising. I was eagerly anticipating a read that was literary and sweet with a bit of a Donald Strachey feel to it.

I'm not entirely sure what happened. After those first two chapters, it felt like a different person wrote the book, or like two books were spliced together by accident. The dialogue was extremely problematic, as was the plot. There wasn't much resolution and it almost seemed like maybe there was a rush editing job. I didn't notice typos but it was really problematic leading up to the HEA that just... I didn't get it.

I wanted to really love this book. I really, really did. I was *convinced* I was going to love it. Just... I'm honestly not sure what happened. Going to think about this for a bit because the first two chapters were really out of this world good. I can't rate the book because of the drastic change in it. I'm almost wondering if it was feasible that like... I don't know. Something accidentally happened in copyediting.

The setting and the description of the town was really excellent.

[Eddie Casson · Rating 5 out of 5]

J. Patrick Redmond has an authentic voice and his words paint a vivid portrait that immediately draws you in- a true storyteller. Some Go Hungry is an absorbing book, so much was relatable as I’m also from a small midwestern town. Much takes place in the family owned restaurant. Fried chicken and bus tubs paired with quirky country characters resonated greatly with my own childhood, as did the struggles when coming to terms with orientation while pushing through a wall of shame. Searching for a happy, productive and authentic life. Something that so many will recognize and everyone strives for.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing with a plot that rings true. The novel is set in a fictionalized Vincennes, Indiana; since my first professional library job was in Flora, IL, a hour west of Vincennes, and I met my first lover in Vincennes, the story affected me emotionally. Highly recommended.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story really touched on some of the hate and terrible things that go on in the world. I was enraged by some of the characters and how horribly they acted towards others, but I was also uplifted by how kind and accepting others were. It really throws both extremes of human behavior out there and makes you think, "How do I want to be treated and treat others." I also like the fact that it pulls from real life. Sometimes you don't solve a mystery or get revenge against a bully, but you have to keep living for yourself and others. That's what I took from this book, and I feel like I can be a better person because of it.

[Greg Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it, and then share it!

Good books entertain you; great books change you. Some Go Hungry is most definitely the latter. We've become so dehumanizing in our culture--people who are different or hold different opinions stop being people and start being an ideology or a lifestyle. Redmond does an amazing job of humanizing what has sadly become a polarizing issue for our society, and in so doing paints an amazing picture of a challenging time. One of the great novels that I've read, ever.

[Joanne Biles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely, gripping, fascinating. J Patrick Redmond has captured a typical Midwestern small town's atrocities and prejudices toward the LGBT community. A journey evocative of our current time and place, depicting an America struggling and flailing between acceptance and resistance of those who dare to be different. I was up all night reading this and that's always my highest recommendation.

[Mckenzie Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant debut from Redmond focusing on a gay man's struggle with his own identity growing up in a conservative Midwestern town. Recommended for any readers who feel like they can't live a genuine life as themselves.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is from my hometown, so it was fun to try to figure out the lightly fictionalized places and such.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think everyone agrees with Dorothy when she proclaims, "There's no place like home." But that doesn't mean it's always a good thing.

In J. Patrick Redmond's captivating debut novel, "Some Go Hungry," the narrator, Grey Daniels, comes from Fort Sackville, a rural Indiana town heavily influenced by the Bible's teachings and still haunted by the unsolved, decades-old murder of a gay teen.

Years ago, Grey left behind a relationship and his life as an openly gay man in Miami to return home and run his family's restaurant after his father falls ill. The closeted Grey is reunited with his high school classmate and former "friend with benefits," Daryl, who resurfaces in Fort Sackville, with his wife and children in tow, as the town church's youth pastor and choir director.

Neither Grey nor Daryl have any interest in rekindling their friendship, but they share a fondness for a talented local teen, Trace, one of the choirboys who works at the restaurant and dreams of one day singing on Broadway.

Following a sermon where Daryl condemns homosexuality and equates gays with the devil, a fearful, questioning Trace seeks advice from Grey. Of his own volition, Trace comes out to his parents, who immediately ship him off to a conversion camp. After word spreads that Trace confided in Grey, they blame him for "recruiting" the teen, and both his family and restaurant suffer the consequences.

For those of us who live in metropolitan areas and communities accepting of same-sex relationships, Grey's story may seem completely outlandish, especially given the nation's recent advancements with marriage equality. But while the events in this novel are fictitious, they are based on the author's actual experiences, and serve as a grim reminder that such circumstances are still not altogether uncommon.

Trace manages to keep in touch with Grey through letters, but things ultimately take a turn for the worse for them both, which forces Grey to reexamine his life. In turn, his family reconsiders their own future.

Grey is an extremely pleasant, likeable character whom we can all relate to. Even if you've never stepped foot anywhere near a town like Fort Sackville, we all know what it's like to nod politely or pretend not to hear when confronted with bigotry and hatred, so as to not cause any disturbance or put ourselves and those we love in danger.

Nevertheless, Grey's tale is a lesson for us all that only when we consider our own feelings first will we find happiness -- and acceptance.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt,entertaining story of a man who lived but hid who he was and how he felt most of the time.Is that living?It is sad the things that make us "us" and not many people realize it.It is for our protection and personal safety when we can venture out of the "box" we find out who we are and how wonderful life can be and feel.Grey basically sacrificed his true happiness for his family's business but found that eventually we do find ourselves.

[Lisa Reitmeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember hearing about this book years ago. I was under the impression it was more about the terrible death of a local young man. I thought it would be more informative about that subject. This is a novel about my hometown but I found the twisted facts more confusing than enjoyable. The name changes I understood but the other incorrect details I just found confusing.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a closeted teenager at a Catholic high school after having had the pleasure of meeting the author at an event with a friend and my mom the week prior. He was an absolute delight and was so kind to my friend and I and signed a copy of the book for us to sneak into our school library. Words can’t express what this book meant to me at the time and continues to today.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the gay issues are here: coming out, parental acceptance, parental rejection, conversion therapy, self-loathing, suicide, AIDS, gay bashing, religious intolerance, drag queens, gay bars, hiding, police cover-ups & indifference....and love.

[Arlyna Wininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

Loved this book such a wonderful story. You will fall in love with the Daniels family I know I did.

[liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

slur counter: 23

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Some Go Hungry takes place in southern Indiana, the same place I grew up. While the town in the book, Fort Sackville, is fictional, it seems to be a fictional version of Vincinnes. Portions of the book also take place in Evansville (which is essentially considered a metropolis to Fort Sackville just like it is my hometown), and while they're never shown in the book, it was cool to see Indianapolis and even Greenwood mentioned.

The book is about a gay man who has grown up in Indiana. His family owns a restaurant that he now manages, and he's stayed in the closet in Fort Sackville his entire life because he doesn't want to ruin his family's restaurant. He knows that no one in town will continue to eat there if they know that he's gay.

This book doesn't offer an idyllic picture of southern Indiana, but it is, without a doubt, realistic. I could recognize the town and how it operates. It was cool, if had times disheartening, to read. For me, that really helped the book.

There were a lot of times where I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. There was a lot of description that felt unnecessary. That was the biggest fault of the book for me. There were also times where the characterization felt off. Sometimes a character would be in a scene but go through the whole thing and only speak one line, making it easy to forget that they were even there. It didn't feel quite like a realistic conversation. Even more than that, after reading the entire thing, I was left feeling like some characters would have been better off being cut out completely (such as the main character's brother) because they did/said so little and seemed to serve no purpose to the plot other than just being there and barely speaking.

The story, though, was touching, and I did enjoy it more than I disliked it.

http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably should give this book five stars just because the true story happened in my hometown. He described things so well I had no difficulty knowing where the story was located. I was intrigued. I left in 1976 and this murder happened 10 years later. He did an excellent job for a debut novel and if this book doesn't get Olivia Benson on the case I don't know what will. Basically, a young gay man was murdered and there was a cover-up and the case was never solved. The author came back to "Fort Sackville " as fictional character Gray. He came back to run the three generation restaurant that his family owned because his father was in poor health. Previously living in Miami as a gay man, I feel he was afraid of the backlash/murder if you were openly gay in Fort Sackville. He brought remarkable characters in who to me just felt real. I really couldn't put this book down as he wove a masterful tale of what goes on in a small town and just how ugly hate can be. People it's not all black and white out there. I hope this book does well. It is a story that needs to be told. I missed the book signing by a week when he was in town. I found out about it reading the local newspaper. I have since told people about it and ordered a copy of the book for our own public libray. I placed it up front on new shelf not because I'm proud of my hometown but because it's a great story. Hope they open the case back up. Great job Mr. Redmond if that is really your name!

[Deirdre Sinnott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes reality feels like fiction. But too often we find that our reality is the stuff that books are made from. Some Go Hungry is based on true events that still are shocking. Redmond had given us a taste of America as real as the fried chicken served in his family's restaurant. It's a moving book and that brought the stirring characters down a road I hope no one else has to travel. An important book for all of us.

[Lynn Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book for a Bookclub Discussion

The author used the real names of some towns and cities so why not do that throughout the whole book? I live in Southern Indiana so I am familiar with its geography. I liked the book, but would have liked to know more about what has happened to the main characters. How was retirement for Grey's parents? I would recommend the book.

[Steve Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average book, in saying that better than most in the genre. Exploring the difficulties of growing up gay in a small country town, and the rabid destructive position so often taken by Christian churches in such communities.

[Damian Serbu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting this in Indiana gave a flavor for a slice of life we seldom get in a gay novel. Characters usually come from such a place and may reflect back on it, but it was intense and important to set us smack down in the middle of it. Nice suspense, love, and drama.