Rainbow Gap

by Lee Lynch

Jaudon Vicker and Berry Garland are polar opposites yet know they are meant to be together. Growing up in steamy backcountry Central Florida, they fight each other’s Berry protects boyish Jaudon from bullies, Jaudon gives the abandoned Berry roots. They pledge that nothing will part them, not a changing Florida nor a changing America, not Berry’s quest for her spiritual path, nor Jaudon’s ambition for her family's business. When the war in Vietnam, politics, police, rough times, society itself, and other women threaten to come between them, their bond grows deeper. In the safety of their secluded tree house hideaway, they learn to dream, dance—and to make love.

Genres: Lesbian, Historical Fiction, Lesbian Fiction

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Lee Lynch published her first lesbian fiction in “The Ladder” in the 1960s. Naiad Press issued Toothpick House, Old Dyke Tales, and more. Her novel The Swashbuckler was presented in NYC as a play scripted by Sarah Schulman. New Victoria Publishers brought out Rafferty Street, the last book of Lynch’s Morton River Valley Trilogy. Her backlist is becoming available in electronic format from Bold Strokes Books. Her newest novels are Beggar of Love and The Raid from Bold Strokes. Her recent short stories can be found in Romantic Interludes (Bold Strokes Books), Women In Uniform (Regal Crest) and at www.readtheselips.com. Her reviews and feature articles have appeared in such publications as “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The Advocate” and “The Lambda Book Report.” Lynch’s syndicated column, “The Amazon Trail,” runs in venues such as boldstrokesbooks.com, justaboutwrite.com, “Letters From Camp Rehoboth,” and “On Top Magazine.”

Lee Lynch was honored by the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) as the first recipient (for The Swashbuckler) and namesake of The Lee Lynch Classics Award, which will honor outstanding works in Lesbian Fiction published before awards and honors were given. She also is a recipient of the Alice B. Reader Award for Lesbian Fiction, the James Duggins Mid-Career Author Award, which honors LGBT mid-career novelists of extraordinary talent and service to the LGBT community, and was inducted into the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame. In 2010 Beggar of Love received the GCLS Ann Bannon Readers’ Choice Award and the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Bronze Award in Gay/Lesbian Fiction. She has twice been nominated for Lambda Literary Awards and her novel Sweet Creek (Bold Strokes Books) was a GCLS award finalist.

She lives in rural Florida with her wife.

Reviews

[Agirlcandream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rainbow Gap follows the lives of two ordinary women, Jaudon Vickers and Berry Garland through their formative years in the late ‘50’s through the early years of enlightenment, the ‘70’s.
Jaudon and Berry did not know they were lesbians.They just knew they were attracted to each other from a young age. Lesbians faced bullying at school and harassment by law enforcement. They were ostracized in the workplace and shunned by parents. Lesbians had nowhere to turn for emotional support or mental health challenges. Lee Lynch points out what utter bravery it took to love another woman in an era when jail time or worse, wrongful placement in mental institutions was a reality for women attracted to other women.

I loved how education made such an impact on the minds and hearts of women who loved women back in the ‘60’s. While Jaudon faced the most prejudice thanks to her inability to fit in as a “regular woman”, it was Berry who was empowered by women who explained to her that how she felt was not wrong and that her rights mattered.

Rainbow Gap reminds us of how far we have come but how we still must battle for women rights, gender rights and equal rights for all. If Lynch makes one person understand and try to reduce the high suicide rate in the LGBTQIA2 community she has done her job.

A powerful, powerful read.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berry and Jaudon are together from the beginning, with the first line telling us that “They started courting as schoolgirls in that fall of 1959, when they were eight.” They are the epitome of soulmates and my heart clenched every time an obstacle came into their path, whether it was the palpable, dangerous homophobia of the time, other women, or simply the fact that growing up changes who you are. Their public moments are bittersweet as they find ways to touch so that no one can see them, regularly reminding us that their love is illegal, no matter how beautiful it is.

Full review: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/rainb...

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars. I had a bit of a struggle with this book. In fact I am struggling how to rate and review it. It is well written. It's obvious Lynch put a lot of time and knowledge into this book. Based purely on her writing, I would give it 4 Stars. When it comes to what I personally like, and how I felt about the book, I would give this 3 Stars. I'm combining the two, to come up with my final rating of 3 1/2.

This story spans about 15 years in the lives of two women who have been inseparable since they were kids. It really shows what life was like for gay women in rural Florida in the 50's & 60's. Issues with women lib, lesbian rights, the war, education, it covers a lot. I think Lynch did an excellent job with this. The setting was wonderful, I really could imagine what Florida was like back then.

I did have a few issues, that took away some of my enjoyment. The writing style, is a little confusing, and hard to get used to. I have read books written like this before, it just take a while to feel comfortable and settled into the story. I also found the book to be a bit long, and it really dragged in some places. I didn't have a page counter on this ARC, but I easily think 50-100 pages could have been cut out.

I did like both main characters, even though both drove me nuts at times. I also loved the secondary Gram character, who was a real gem in the book. But this book had a lot of characters that were quite a bit out there, even for the times. And while this book tackled a lot of serious subjects, it did have small bouts of humor, which I enjoyed.

Last little complaint, there was a very small mystery, that kept popping up in the book. I kept thinking, trying to puzzle out the answer, but then the book just ends. It leaves the question hanging. That honestly drives me nuts. I wish I could pick Lynch's mind and ask her the answer. Who was the man in the truck? I though it might have been Berry's father, but I hate that the question is never answered.

I can't necessarily recommend this, but if you are looking for something different, that tackles a lot of issues from our past, you might want to give this a try.

An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple yet complex read. Several times while reading, I stopped and reflected on the events taking place during that time period, specifically, how people were feeling and reacting to their small town life, segregation, the Vietnam War, gay rights, women's rights, civil rights, the police, bullies, family, drugs, mental health, gun control, education and relationships. This read also reminded me of Forrest Gump because, it also takes place over several time periods and events. I really appreciated the commitment, understanding and resiliency of Jaudon Vickers and Berry Garland. These characters demonstrated that you can be determined and true to self as well as be committed to a long term relationship. Jaudon and Berry understand that without someone to share life with, what does it matter if you accumulate a lot of stuff.

Received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give it more stars. It's Lee Lynch she's awesome! The story isn't all fluff and sweetness. I enjoyed the gritty truthfulness, but I had a hard time connecting with the story.

[Pippa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berry Garland and Jaudon Vicker live in the backcountry of Central Florida. Growing up as kids on the outskirts of this small town, they learn to deal with the homophobia as they develop from best friends to lovers.

Berry wants to be a nurse, and is attracted to the politics of feminism and the women pushing for change. Jaudon is dealing with her bullying mother, and wants to learn as much about business as she can so she can eventually take up the reins of the family retail business.

Along the way, the events of the 1960s and ‘70s impact on their lives, reaching in from around the globe to change everything, including how Berry and Jaudon see themselves, and their world.

Berry and Jaudon are interesting characters and Lynch places them in an unusual place to examine the events of this decade. I was a bit taken aback by the placement of the story within this tiny backwater, but quickly realized that the story was much more than the lesbian romance I was expecting. By placing the story in such a small town, Lynch allows us to see the full impact of that changing decade on those on the very fringes of the 1960s storm.

Lynch has created a very different way to tell the story of the growing understanding of feminism and queerness impacted on the lives of those who lived through such extraordinary change. Jaudon, the more cautious of the two, and Berry the more adventurous spiritually, enables Lynch to differentiate the paths of two very different women within this time of flux.

This is a complex story of how external ideas change a group of people, as the tentacles of a more complex understanding of the world reach in from outside a small town to paint in colour what had been black and white. Fascinating and evocative, this is an interesting book.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

IGNAB received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Lee Lynch, and Bold Strokes Books Inc. in exchange for an honest review.

This book in set in Florida in the 1950's and 1960's, covering deep subjects, lesbian relationships, antiwar and pro-women's lib movements, Lee Lynch covers them all well. A bit more sexual detail than I am comfortable with, but handled delicately. I lived in Florida during the late 1960's and those details of warm, sunny, sandy living brought a lump to my throat - made me miss everything but the tourists...

The Vietnam War disputes really rang a bell for me - that conflicted mindset where you have family and loved ones over there but feel the war is very wrong - as well as the frustration of wanting more equality for women and your main opponents are those women happy with the status quo brought back those mental battles with a bang.
pub date Dec 13, 2016
Bold Strokes Books Inc.

[Velvet Lounger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rainbow Gap - Lee LynchSometimes it is hard to write a review because you can’t find the words, in this case it’s hard to find words big enough to describe such an epic tale. Set in Florida in the 50’s and 60’s Lee Lynch has constructed a story that creates a movie style landscape in your mind.

It opens with the portrayal of two young school friends, one the circus freak with too much testosterone, the other the pretty girl who choses her friend above popularity. The plot is 15 years of simple day-to-day living, with their small personal dramas, but set in the midst of complex times that frequently touch their lives. A brother away in Vietnam, the first battles of women’s lib, the early stirrings of gay rights, the communist threat, and the on-going social segregation all form a backdrop to the changing world around them.

Jaudon and Berry form an instant bond that in small town America in the 1950’s literally had no name. They forge a life together based on nothing more than their absolute belief that they belong. With no role models, no community and very little support they just ‘are’. Each step, from the first tentative kiss to finding their own place in the world, individually and as a couple, is an exploration of how to be.

The Florida swamp plays a powerful role in the novel, from how the girls grow up in the most basic of shacks to the ever-present voice of frogs and the bite of mosquitos. More than just setting the scene the landscape is a living being with a character and a sub-plot of its own, almost a will of its own, taking action in the lives of the families who carve out a life in the encroaching greenery and the overwhelming heat.

We meet a broad range of characters from the distant overachieving mother to the warm and loving gran, the gay boys who struggle to be themselves and a bunch of recognisable 1960's feminists beginning to fight for women’s rights. For anyone old enough to have lived through those heady days of the women’s groups and early gay community it rings so many bells. The strident activists, the surreptitious gatherings, the support and the angst of women learning the hard way how to fight for change.

This is both a coming out and growing up story, but also a timeless work of literary fiction, with classic writing that draws you into it’s world. The plot may be simple but the characters, interactions and subplots are the history of lives lived at a time when literally everything they did was unknowingly revolutionary.

Rainbow Gap will win awards across the board, and deservedly so. It is simple in plot, but complex in emotion. It is a genuine classic telling of nothing more or less than real life: more than anything it’s a story of the birth of our community and the fight to be openly who we are.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:

One of the first lesbian romance novels I bought was Lee Lynch’s That Old Studebaker, back when it was originally published, and I’ve been meaning to find out whether the author’s current works live up to the happy memories I have of that book. As with the previously mentioned book, Rainbow Gap focusses on lesbians growing up in less-than-glamourous surroundings and going on to have mundane but nonetheless important careers. By way of contrast to my memories of a coming-of-age novel, however, this book covers a broad period of lesbian history, seen through the eyes of two relatively ordinary women.

Jaudon Vicker and Berry Garland go to school together after Berry is abandoned by her parents to stay with her grandmother. Both come from families with considerable histories of living in their small South Florida community; although neither has a particularly well-off background, Jaudon’s parents – her mother in particular – work hard to make a success of their chain of grocery stores and to constantly extend and modernise their home. As the girls mature, they grow ever closer, spending much of their spare time in the treehouse on the Vickers’ family property or out in the swamp around Berry’s grandmother’s home.

Although Berry could be one of the popular girls, she prefers to stay with Jaudon, who is bullied for the way she looks; when she is accepted onto a nursing course, she encourages Jaudon to take business classes so they can study together while Jaudon also manages one of her family’s stores. Berry makes friends, through her work and studies, with a number of lesbian and feminist activists; while Jaudon doesn’t always agree with their views, she respects Berry’s opinions and allows one of the women – a fugitive from the law – to stay with them, even though it places them both in jeopardy.

The path of true love doesn’t always run smooth – both heroines are tempted at times by other women – and Berry’s anti-war stance causes friction with Jaudon, when her brother is serving in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Jaudon faces opposition from her mother regarding the way she runs the store – particularly her hiring of African-American women to work there. Overall, though, this is a gentle book in which events unfold slowly (with one or two exceptions) and while the women’s circumstances change for the better, this happens only gradually.

A real feel-good novel: I can see I need to catch up with this author’s back catalogue.

[Sandra de Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and timely book by one of the Lesbian Community's elders. I've been reading Lynch since she and I both wrote for Portland, Oregon's Just Out newspaper. I wrote theatre reviews, and she wrote The Amazon Trail column which still exists today. We met only once at a newspaper function, and weren't yet friends, but I fell in love with her way with words. Rainbow Gap is lesbian literature in every sense of the phrase. This is not a romance, it is literary fiction. About lesbians. The primary characters meet and become friends in elementary school, and we watch them grow and change throughout the sixties and seventies. They live in rural Florida, but are touched by the Vietnam War, the Women's Movement, the budding gay movement, and the civil rights movement. Their differences show us ourselves as we went through changes to obtain emotional growth. Those differences pull them together rather than separate them. They grow toward each other. We could all learn from Rainbow Gap.

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Rainbow Gap Lee Lynch
1) Beautifully vivid depiction of Florida wildlife, terrain, weather, and the culture of Florida in the 1950s-1970s.
2) Lee Lynch is a superb practitioner of her craft. Memorable characters overcoming life’s big and little obstacles with dialog that vibrates with authenticity, and plainspoken brilliance, this is a charming love story.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rec'd a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Jaudon and Berry meet as kids - their tale spans 1950's/1960's. They are never swayed in their commitment to each other. Descriptions of South USA are beautiful and supporting characters interact well in the storyline. If you want romance, history, angst and overall fortitude read this!! Kudos!

[stephanie bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different time

This book takes place in a small Florida town around 1973 are so and sets you up for small town life with a few gay people. It is coming to terms with family and the. Coming of struggling foe existence.

[Karen Hockemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful!!! Excellent characters, plotting, and most importantly well written!!!!

[Candice Tawamba · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to be said about this book, but I'll try and keep it simple.

What I loved about it:

1. It is about two girls who just always knew, from age 8, that they were each other's soulmates. Despite all adversity to come by them, threatening to break them apart, they fought together and sailed through.

2. It tackles so many societal issues which were relevant then, and still so much now. The racism, our perception of mental illness, homosexuality, feminism, patriarchy, etc. This shows that despite the time difference, not much has changed and the fight continues for more equality.

3. The solidarity throughout the book. This just boils down to loyalty. Jaudon being loyal to Berry to protect Allison and eventually losing her hearing, the feminist group being supportive and loyal to each other (although there was a lot of misplaced loyalty here), Berry being loyal to Jaudon despite her mishap with Lari, etc. We need so much of this form of support system nowadays, where everyone seems to help only because they have an interest, and not just because it's the right thing to do.

What I didn't like:

1. As said in point 3 above, there was a lot of misplaced loyalty. I understand that it was the beginning of feminism, and many thought it implied the hatred of men (ironical that some were married, but oh well). Many did not and still do not understand it is not a call for hatred, but a call for equality. At some point Allison understood that and changed strategy. Without all the brouhaha that they caused, Jaudon might not have lost her partial hearing.

2. Jaudon: It pains me a lot to say this but I had a hard time connecting with her. While Berry grew up in many ways, it seems to me that Jaudon only grew up in the business that was Bevereage Bays. She seemed frozen in a time capsule that stopped her from moving forward. Take the war for example. Berry's concern about the war was noble, but Jaudon was obviously not educated enough to learn about it, hanging on every word saud by authorities. As if invading a country based on their economic principle should be enough. Not to mention how she loathe the feminist movement and upheld patriarchy, when it's that same patriarchy that took her hearing, the same patriarchy that made her illegible to take over Beverage Bays in Momma's eyes, the same patriarchy that decided that women's tubes were to be tied, the sme patriarchy that made her brother say whatever snide remark he could say, just because he was a man. In so many ways, Jaudon was her first problem through her insecurities as well. We all have them, but it should never be a main factor in our relationships.Somehow I am convinced she cheated on Berry partially due to some of that because internally you ask yourself, "Someone else wants me?" and that was wrong.

Still a good book, loved the evolution that was found in the characters.

[Dawn Bellville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a pleasurable and historical lesson in Lee Lynch's novels. Enjoyed this one, although the pace was a bit slow for me.