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Under the Rainbow
When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended, in this wry, embracing novel.
Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and everyone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.
Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.
Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and everyone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.
Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2020
117 people are currently reading
20087 people want to read
About the author
Celia Laskey
4 books222 followersCelia Laskey’s debut novel Under the Rainbow is out now with Riverhead Books, and her second novel So Happy for You is forthcoming from Hanover Square Books June 7, 2022. Her other work has appeared in Guernica, The Minnesota Review, Day One, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their dog Whiskey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 658 reviews
March 3, 2020
I felt similarly about this as I did about Red, White, and Royal Blue which for most people would be a compliment but for me sadly it is not. I was not expecting for this to be a YA book, but given the tone and the coming-of-age nature, I think it's best to describe it that way. This book seems more interested in posturing than actually telling a compelling story - complete with a definition of "hetero-shaming" on the first page. As a gay man who was bullied for being myself in high school, even I did not see myself represented in these characters or their stories. I was hoping to read a story about what it would actually be like to be a queer person living in the most homophobic town in America, what I got is some fantasy, wish-fulfillment world where homophobic tendencies aren't embedded into the fabric of existence and can easily be unwoven with a gentle pull.
March 8, 2020
When Big Burr, Kansas is named the most homophobic place in America, a group of activists moves in to try to make a difference. The novel starts from the perspective of one of their children, and moves from there to others in the town and in the group. Laskey captures the pressures of small town life and the destructive nature of homophobia, but also the beauty of embracing your true self or learning to accept your neighbor. My only slight quibble was as a reader, connecting with a narrator and then losing the internal perspective of their story. I still feel concerned for Avery and Zach, and want to know what happened with that billboard lady! There is also a touch of wishful thinking but wouldn't you?
I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley and Edelweiss (whoops) and it came out March 3, 2020.
I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley and Edelweiss (whoops) and it came out March 3, 2020.
August 18, 2021
2.75
To była ciekawa pozycja - momentami humorystyczna, ale też dość ironiczna i trafna. Mimo to nie zaskarbiła sobie mojej sympatii - zupełnie tego nie czułam. Niektóre sytuacje opisane w książce wywołały odrobinę emocji, może frustrację, ale przez większość czasu nie czułam się zaangażowana.
To była ciekawa pozycja - momentami humorystyczna, ale też dość ironiczna i trafna. Mimo to nie zaskarbiła sobie mojej sympatii - zupełnie tego nie czułam. Niektóre sytuacje opisane w książce wywołały odrobinę emocji, może frustrację, ale przez większość czasu nie czułam się zaangażowana.
December 4, 2020
QUICK TAKE: I’m not sure about the rest of you, but the world is a scary place right now, and I’ve really been turning to books to get away from the daily news and rigmarole, and UNDER THE RAINBOW is the perfect antidote to today’s anxiety, especially with its message of community and coming togetherness…told in the form of interconnected short stories, UTR follows a group of LGBTQ activists who move to a small town labeled “the most homophobic town in the US” with the hope of changing the minds of the townspeople. Full of heart and emotion, the story celebrates what it means to be "different", and I'm hoping more people discover it before the end of the year.
March 6, 2020
In this novel a non-profit program named Acceptance Across America (AAA) goes to the supposed most homophobic town with a task force that provides undercover dedicated time to fight homophobia and issues within the community. I did this as an audio book and the numerous narrators were incredible and perfectly fit each character.
The novel has a large number of main characters with chapters dedicated to their POV. I liked the amount of time given to each character chapter wise. I think it helps you build a better connection or in some cases builds a case for why their mind may work the way it does or their feelings towards certain things. Or in some cases just clearly emphasizes ignorance. Initially I wasn’t sure if so many points of view would make me feel more detached from the story and less directly connected to a specific character or characters. But it actually gave a great sense of a community which I know was the intent. The book did a perfect job creating and representing the stereotypical types of people, some unfortunately, for emphasis of how ridiculous it is at times. There was humor with mockery and cliche topics. Such as “Too pretty to be lesbians” “at least it’s not two men” types of statements. While there were bits of humor and some of this came off light hearted there are underlying issues that are very serious and directly confronted. There were very subtle tie ins of the characters that you could almost miss if not paying attention and emphasis on pronouns that provided a nice extra touch.
I think books like this are another great way to open up dialogue about communities and minorities that need our collective support. While we have made great advances over the years we still have a lot of room to grow. I enjoyed how overall this book was not too heavy and didn’t leave me feeling gutted but still left room for even a very open accepting person to continue to think about things and where we can continue to grow.
The novel has a large number of main characters with chapters dedicated to their POV. I liked the amount of time given to each character chapter wise. I think it helps you build a better connection or in some cases builds a case for why their mind may work the way it does or their feelings towards certain things. Or in some cases just clearly emphasizes ignorance. Initially I wasn’t sure if so many points of view would make me feel more detached from the story and less directly connected to a specific character or characters. But it actually gave a great sense of a community which I know was the intent. The book did a perfect job creating and representing the stereotypical types of people, some unfortunately, for emphasis of how ridiculous it is at times. There was humor with mockery and cliche topics. Such as “Too pretty to be lesbians” “at least it’s not two men” types of statements. While there were bits of humor and some of this came off light hearted there are underlying issues that are very serious and directly confronted. There were very subtle tie ins of the characters that you could almost miss if not paying attention and emphasis on pronouns that provided a nice extra touch.
I think books like this are another great way to open up dialogue about communities and minorities that need our collective support. While we have made great advances over the years we still have a lot of room to grow. I enjoyed how overall this book was not too heavy and didn’t leave me feeling gutted but still left room for even a very open accepting person to continue to think about things and where we can continue to grow.
March 26, 2020
3.5 stars.
Celia Laskey's Under the Rainbow is a collection of poignant, thought-provoking, interconnected stories about an interesting social experiment of sorts.
Big Burr, Kansas has been determined to be the most homophobic town in the U.S. by a nonprofit group. The group decides to send an LGBTQ task force to live and work in Big Burr, and see what inroads can be made in a two-year period.
As task force members try to adjust their lives—which weren’t necessarily all that well-adjusted wherever they came from—to life in Big Burr, they encounter the expected reactions and some surprising ones, but aren’t quite sure what it all will mean. And while the residents of Big Burr aren’t all that happy about the visitors to their town, it's not always for the reasons you’d expect.
Laskey’s stories focus both on task force members and town residents. There's the daughter of the task force leader, who craves a "regular" life instead of an "alternative" life in the spotlight; the mother grieving over her son's death, who finds comfort among the outcasts; the man who has done everything expected of him, who wants to step out of the closet but is afraid of the consequences; and a task force member who thought his relationship with his partner might get better with a change of scenery, only to find they are slipping into old habits; and many more.
Some of the stories are poignant and moving and some just didn't quite resonate for me, but while at first many of these characters seem like one-note stereotypes, Laskey provides complexity, emotion, and some depressing moments in a number of the stories. (One story in particular just knocked me for a loop.)
This book definitely made me think and Laskey is a talented storyteller. Ultimately, though, I don’t know what the message of the book was. I felt like there were a lot of incidents left dangling, and while the epilogue was used to bring closure it actually pointed out the moments I would’ve loved to have seen in the book, more tell than show.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Celia Laskey's Under the Rainbow is a collection of poignant, thought-provoking, interconnected stories about an interesting social experiment of sorts.
Big Burr, Kansas has been determined to be the most homophobic town in the U.S. by a nonprofit group. The group decides to send an LGBTQ task force to live and work in Big Burr, and see what inroads can be made in a two-year period.
As task force members try to adjust their lives—which weren’t necessarily all that well-adjusted wherever they came from—to life in Big Burr, they encounter the expected reactions and some surprising ones, but aren’t quite sure what it all will mean. And while the residents of Big Burr aren’t all that happy about the visitors to their town, it's not always for the reasons you’d expect.
Laskey’s stories focus both on task force members and town residents. There's the daughter of the task force leader, who craves a "regular" life instead of an "alternative" life in the spotlight; the mother grieving over her son's death, who finds comfort among the outcasts; the man who has done everything expected of him, who wants to step out of the closet but is afraid of the consequences; and a task force member who thought his relationship with his partner might get better with a change of scenery, only to find they are slipping into old habits; and many more.
Some of the stories are poignant and moving and some just didn't quite resonate for me, but while at first many of these characters seem like one-note stereotypes, Laskey provides complexity, emotion, and some depressing moments in a number of the stories. (One story in particular just knocked me for a loop.)
This book definitely made me think and Laskey is a talented storyteller. Ultimately, though, I don’t know what the message of the book was. I felt like there were a lot of incidents left dangling, and while the epilogue was used to bring closure it actually pointed out the moments I would’ve loved to have seen in the book, more tell than show.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
October 12, 2023
This is Celia Laskey’s debut novel from 2020. It has been languishing on my ‘to read’ pile since then (mea culpa). I stumbled across it while looking for something lighter to read and was immediately struck by the cover image of a stuffed deer head mounted on a pink wall. With the deer wearing a neat little rainbow bowtie.
That image is directly out of the book and is, in fact, a perfect summary of it: The sorts of people who tend to hunt are not exactly an LGBTQ+, er, target market. Except in this case, it is, which is part of the delightful irony of this image. I have seen another more recent cover with a rainbow illuminating the back of a billboard saying ‘Thank You. Visit Big Burr Again’. Not nearly as effective. Or as gay, which is increasingly problematic in America.
There is definitely a billboard, installed on the roof of a Big Burr business by Acceptance Across America (AAA) as its taskforce (surely not the best collective noun) descends on Big Burr, statistically determined to be the most homophobic town in America. The taskforce aims to disabuse the citizenry (and the far more cynical and cruel high school children) of their homophobia and general prejudice.
Instead, chaos erupts as gay people begin to pop out of the woodwork. One character bemoans the fact that before the arrival of the AAA, there were no gay people in Big Burr at all. It is this kind of myopia that underlines much of the biting humour in this extremely funny, tender, and big-hearted novel, which swept me up in its warm embrace like a hug.
Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) states in his 2020 five-star rating that “the world is a scary place right now, and I’ve really been turning to books to get away from the daily news and rigmarole …” Nothing has changed in 2023; indeed, the world seems even more of a mess at present, with major wars having erupted in two of the most volatile hotspots on the planet.
I think the lukewarm response to ‘Under the Rainbow’ in general is partly due to its structure. The book introduces Avery, teen daughter of two moms, one a Netflix executive and the other an AAA activist. Avery is struggling to ‘come out’ to her two utopian moms as straight, which she dreads as she is convinced they had “raised me like a dog-show poodle to be the most perfect lesbian ever.”
Avery pops up again, in quite different circumstances, but this is the last time she is a viewpoint character. And so it goes with the entire book, with 11 main protagonists in total. Stories intertwine and we get to see other sides of people we’ve already met (some palatable, some surprising, some ugly). I think it works really well, as we get a real sense of Big Burr as a community, warts and all. There is a complex alchemy between the AAA and Big Burr that changes both forever (the final section takes place a decade later).
Another problem is that Laskey’s book does in places feel like it is written for the bigoted Big Burr community itself, as there is a lot of explanation of general gay terminology and behaviour that I kind of glossed over. There is intimacy, more emotional than anything else, and some of the best penis jokes I have read in any book. But the gayness ends there. Just as Blake Crouch writes science fiction thrillers for people who ordinarily would not be caught dead dabbling in a ghetto genre, so does Laskey go out of her way not to frighten the horses.
The sad reality at present is that many LGBTQ+ people in so-called ‘red states’ are fleeing small American towns like Big Burr in droves as anti-gay legislation begins to bite, according to a 6 June 2023 article in The Guardian by Amelia Abraham:
This month, Lauren Rodriguez will move out of her home in Texas, a state where she has lived for 20 years, to relocate to New Zealand. “People think we are dramatic for leaving, but when you look at what’s happened to my family, we’re not,” she says, amid packing up her life’s belongings. “It has been a total witch-hunt. It takes its toll.”
Texas has passed an unprecedented number of anti-gay and anti-trans bills, including a bizarre ban on drag, while Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill bars teachers from educating children between kindergarten and third grade about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Laskey’s acknowledgements has a concluding statement that is strikingly relevant today, making this novel part of an increasingly important arsenal to protect against the wave of bigotry, militancy, and intolerance sweeping the world:
Lastly, thank you to all the queer people who have come before, who have been visible and thus allowed us to see possibilities for the future, and who fought to get us to the point where a book like this could be published.
I hope many more people, whether LGBTQ+ or not, read this book to ensure it stays on the shelves, especially in the libraries of towns like Big Burr, where its rainbow colours await to bedazzle and illuminate the darkness.
That image is directly out of the book and is, in fact, a perfect summary of it: The sorts of people who tend to hunt are not exactly an LGBTQ+, er, target market. Except in this case, it is, which is part of the delightful irony of this image. I have seen another more recent cover with a rainbow illuminating the back of a billboard saying ‘Thank You. Visit Big Burr Again’. Not nearly as effective. Or as gay, which is increasingly problematic in America.
There is definitely a billboard, installed on the roof of a Big Burr business by Acceptance Across America (AAA) as its taskforce (surely not the best collective noun) descends on Big Burr, statistically determined to be the most homophobic town in America. The taskforce aims to disabuse the citizenry (and the far more cynical and cruel high school children) of their homophobia and general prejudice.
Instead, chaos erupts as gay people begin to pop out of the woodwork. One character bemoans the fact that before the arrival of the AAA, there were no gay people in Big Burr at all. It is this kind of myopia that underlines much of the biting humour in this extremely funny, tender, and big-hearted novel, which swept me up in its warm embrace like a hug.
Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) states in his 2020 five-star rating that “the world is a scary place right now, and I’ve really been turning to books to get away from the daily news and rigmarole …” Nothing has changed in 2023; indeed, the world seems even more of a mess at present, with major wars having erupted in two of the most volatile hotspots on the planet.
I think the lukewarm response to ‘Under the Rainbow’ in general is partly due to its structure. The book introduces Avery, teen daughter of two moms, one a Netflix executive and the other an AAA activist. Avery is struggling to ‘come out’ to her two utopian moms as straight, which she dreads as she is convinced they had “raised me like a dog-show poodle to be the most perfect lesbian ever.”
Avery pops up again, in quite different circumstances, but this is the last time she is a viewpoint character. And so it goes with the entire book, with 11 main protagonists in total. Stories intertwine and we get to see other sides of people we’ve already met (some palatable, some surprising, some ugly). I think it works really well, as we get a real sense of Big Burr as a community, warts and all. There is a complex alchemy between the AAA and Big Burr that changes both forever (the final section takes place a decade later).
Another problem is that Laskey’s book does in places feel like it is written for the bigoted Big Burr community itself, as there is a lot of explanation of general gay terminology and behaviour that I kind of glossed over. There is intimacy, more emotional than anything else, and some of the best penis jokes I have read in any book. But the gayness ends there. Just as Blake Crouch writes science fiction thrillers for people who ordinarily would not be caught dead dabbling in a ghetto genre, so does Laskey go out of her way not to frighten the horses.
The sad reality at present is that many LGBTQ+ people in so-called ‘red states’ are fleeing small American towns like Big Burr in droves as anti-gay legislation begins to bite, according to a 6 June 2023 article in The Guardian by Amelia Abraham:
This month, Lauren Rodriguez will move out of her home in Texas, a state where she has lived for 20 years, to relocate to New Zealand. “People think we are dramatic for leaving, but when you look at what’s happened to my family, we’re not,” she says, amid packing up her life’s belongings. “It has been a total witch-hunt. It takes its toll.”
Texas has passed an unprecedented number of anti-gay and anti-trans bills, including a bizarre ban on drag, while Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill bars teachers from educating children between kindergarten and third grade about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Laskey’s acknowledgements has a concluding statement that is strikingly relevant today, making this novel part of an increasingly important arsenal to protect against the wave of bigotry, militancy, and intolerance sweeping the world:
Lastly, thank you to all the queer people who have come before, who have been visible and thus allowed us to see possibilities for the future, and who fought to get us to the point where a book like this could be published.
I hope many more people, whether LGBTQ+ or not, read this book to ensure it stays on the shelves, especially in the libraries of towns like Big Burr, where its rainbow colours await to bedazzle and illuminate the darkness.
March 26, 2020
While I appreciate what this book was trying to do, it didn't feel that realistic or true to form of what homophobia is like in small towns. The characters felt like stereotypes of who they were supposed to be; the homophobic white lady who is god-fearing but also hates her life and husband, etc. I guess it was nice to have a HEA ending, but it also felt unrealistic.
This book did make me tear up and at certain parts it was hard to read because of the homophobia/transphobia, but at other parts I was cringing at how stereotypical certain characters arcs and stories were. If the characters were further fleshed out and certain topics were explored more I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.
I really liked the portion of where Tegan had to deal with seeing the perspectives of the other townspeople. I think it could have been an interesting study to delve further into that topic of should we try to be nice and understanding to those who are not nice and understanding to us? And how Christine's portion talked about how hate covered up other emotions. I feel like this book set out to cover the many facets of homophobia, but it would have been better (imo) to focus on one facet and deep dive into it. Because of all the different topics covered it all felt very surface level and stereotypical.
This book did make me tear up and at certain parts it was hard to read because of the homophobia/transphobia, but at other parts I was cringing at how stereotypical certain characters arcs and stories were. If the characters were further fleshed out and certain topics were explored more I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.
I really liked the portion of where Tegan had to deal with seeing the perspectives of the other townspeople. I think it could have been an interesting study to delve further into that topic of should we try to be nice and understanding to those who are not nice and understanding to us? And how Christine's portion talked about how hate covered up other emotions. I feel like this book set out to cover the many facets of homophobia, but it would have been better (imo) to focus on one facet and deep dive into it. Because of all the different topics covered it all felt very surface level and stereotypical.
November 3, 2025
I was attracted to this novel because of location and beginning premise. The location is Kansas my home state. The beginning premise is that a nation wide survey has determined that Big Burr, Kansas is "the most homophobic town in the United States." A national nonprofit named Acceptance Across America (AAA) has decided to send a task force of LGBTQ volunteers to Big Burr for them to live and work there for two years and see if community attitudes can be broadened by being exposed to people who are different.
This novel contains eleven first person narratives from various Big Burr residents and task force members providing insight into what might take place in their hearts and minds. The idea that a town in Kansas could be labeled as most homophobic seemed so far fetched to me that I expected it to be a comedy. The writing is sufficiently flippant to cause me to laugh a couple times, but over all the angst and personal crises explored in this book are serious issues.
The writing is good and the author shows considerable insight into psychological and relationship issues that people and couples can face. So the book is not a comedy, but I suppose the book could be one way to begin a discussion about acceptance of differences.
So did the experiment work? Was acceptance in the community improved? I'd say to results were sufficiently mixed to be realistic. It's an interesting book, but I wouldn't recommend doing this in real life. I'm afraid that in a real life situation there would be violence caused by outside politicians and those who follow their cues.
This novel contains eleven first person narratives from various Big Burr residents and task force members providing insight into what might take place in their hearts and minds. The idea that a town in Kansas could be labeled as most homophobic seemed so far fetched to me that I expected it to be a comedy. The writing is sufficiently flippant to cause me to laugh a couple times, but over all the angst and personal crises explored in this book are serious issues.
The writing is good and the author shows considerable insight into psychological and relationship issues that people and couples can face. So the book is not a comedy, but I suppose the book could be one way to begin a discussion about acceptance of differences.
So did the experiment work? Was acceptance in the community improved? I'd say to results were sufficiently mixed to be realistic. It's an interesting book, but I wouldn't recommend doing this in real life. I'm afraid that in a real life situation there would be violence caused by outside politicians and those who follow their cues.
October 17, 2020
A bit ambivalent about this one - it was an interesting idea, and the writing is fairly competent - but I had some quibbles. First off, it is a series of interconnected short stories, probably one of my LEAST favorite formats, and though it's sometimes fun re-encountering characters from previous stories popping up later on, I think only E. Strout REALLY excels at doing that. I was also fearful some of the strands would be left open-ended, but dang if they aren't all tied up on the penultimate page - so kudos for that!
A third of the stories have teenaged narrators/central characters, so the book skews a bit YA for my taste. There are also quite a few melodramatic twists, and often I felt the whole Kansas milieu just didn't feel quite accurate. And I could certainly do without the story about the missing cat, or the pages detailing inseminating cattle ... :-( It basically reads like what it is - a debut novel that served as an MFA final project - it isn't awful, but I somehow expected a bit more.
A third of the stories have teenaged narrators/central characters, so the book skews a bit YA for my taste. There are also quite a few melodramatic twists, and often I felt the whole Kansas milieu just didn't feel quite accurate. And I could certainly do without the story about the missing cat, or the pages detailing inseminating cattle ... :-( It basically reads like what it is - a debut novel that served as an MFA final project - it isn't awful, but I somehow expected a bit more.
November 12, 2023
2/5
Man labai patiko Celia Laskey „So Happy For You“ – unikali, įdomi, juokinga, smagiai ir įtraukiančiai parašyta. Iš Laskey debiuto tikėjausi ne mažiau, bet jis toks prastas, kad pabaigiau tik iš pagarbos antrajai knygai – na, sunku buvo patikėti, kad autorė, kurios viena knyga taip patiko, su tokiu premisu kaip šios gali taip prašauti. Nes sutikit, idėja gana nebloga – ištiriama, kuris miestas JAV homofobiškiausias ir prisiunčiama ten LGBTQ šeimų, kad jos pakeistų nuomonę ir žmonėms parodytų, kad baimės tik jų galvose. Ir nors istorija gali nueiti pačiais skirtingiausiais keliais, autorė kažkodėl susirenka visus įmanomus tropus (nelaiminga gėjų pora, kuri be trečio vyro lovoj jau į tą lovą net nelabai gulasi, moteris, kuri nekenčia savo gyvenimo ir todėl išsilieja ant gėjų ir panašiai) ir su jais... nieko nepadaro. Stereotipai lieka stereotipais, dramos vardan dramų, o dar ir tokios nemenkos – pavyzdžiui, pana pabėga iš namų ir ją taip partrenkia mašina, kad ji nebevaikščios. Aišku, visko būna, bet toks kažkoks labiau Hallmark filmas, kai ji po to skaito Hemingvėjų ir komentuoja: „nu, visaip nutinka“.
Ir iš įdomios, intriguojančios idėjos lieka tik kiautas, po kuriuo tiek daug veikėjų, kad sunku juose susigaudyti, o ir turim kokius 10 skyrių iš skirtingų perspektyvų, tai prie tų pačių veikėjų nelabai grįžtama ir jų problemos, apart kelių, kurias autorė pasirenka, lieka kabėti ore. Tos, kurios pabaigą gauna, irgi primena tokią Hallmark‘išką „už 10 metų...“ filmo pabaigą, kur visi laimingi, su derančiais megztukais ir puodeliais kakavos. Žodžiu, visiškai ne tai, ko tikėjausi ir visiškai nesuprantu, kaip tas pats žmogus galėjo parašyti tokias kokybe skirtingas knygas (keista, kad antrosios įvertinimas GR yra DAUG prastesnis, tai gal aš tiesiog unpopular opinion šiuo atveju?), kai tarp jų tarpas – vos keli metai. Bet jei autorė taip tobulėja, įdomu koks bus jos trečiasis romanas, tai į jį nespjausiu.
Man labai patiko Celia Laskey „So Happy For You“ – unikali, įdomi, juokinga, smagiai ir įtraukiančiai parašyta. Iš Laskey debiuto tikėjausi ne mažiau, bet jis toks prastas, kad pabaigiau tik iš pagarbos antrajai knygai – na, sunku buvo patikėti, kad autorė, kurios viena knyga taip patiko, su tokiu premisu kaip šios gali taip prašauti. Nes sutikit, idėja gana nebloga – ištiriama, kuris miestas JAV homofobiškiausias ir prisiunčiama ten LGBTQ šeimų, kad jos pakeistų nuomonę ir žmonėms parodytų, kad baimės tik jų galvose. Ir nors istorija gali nueiti pačiais skirtingiausiais keliais, autorė kažkodėl susirenka visus įmanomus tropus (nelaiminga gėjų pora, kuri be trečio vyro lovoj jau į tą lovą net nelabai gulasi, moteris, kuri nekenčia savo gyvenimo ir todėl išsilieja ant gėjų ir panašiai) ir su jais... nieko nepadaro. Stereotipai lieka stereotipais, dramos vardan dramų, o dar ir tokios nemenkos – pavyzdžiui, pana pabėga iš namų ir ją taip partrenkia mašina, kad ji nebevaikščios. Aišku, visko būna, bet toks kažkoks labiau Hallmark filmas, kai ji po to skaito Hemingvėjų ir komentuoja: „nu, visaip nutinka“.
Ir iš įdomios, intriguojančios idėjos lieka tik kiautas, po kuriuo tiek daug veikėjų, kad sunku juose susigaudyti, o ir turim kokius 10 skyrių iš skirtingų perspektyvų, tai prie tų pačių veikėjų nelabai grįžtama ir jų problemos, apart kelių, kurias autorė pasirenka, lieka kabėti ore. Tos, kurios pabaigą gauna, irgi primena tokią Hallmark‘išką „už 10 metų...“ filmo pabaigą, kur visi laimingi, su derančiais megztukais ir puodeliais kakavos. Žodžiu, visiškai ne tai, ko tikėjausi ir visiškai nesuprantu, kaip tas pats žmogus galėjo parašyti tokias kokybe skirtingas knygas (keista, kad antrosios įvertinimas GR yra DAUG prastesnis, tai gal aš tiesiog unpopular opinion šiuo atveju?), kai tarp jų tarpas – vos keli metai. Bet jei autorė taip tobulėja, įdomu koks bus jos trečiasis romanas, tai į jį nespjausiu.
June 8, 2021
Ta książka to kalejdoskop żyć i problemów bohaterów najbardziej homofobicznego miasta Ameryki - Big Burr. Poruszone tutaj zostały naprawdę ważne tematy, ale w taki życiowy i naturalny sposób.
Na pewno nie jest to książka dla wszystkich, bo niektórym ta "dosłowność" może doskwierać.
Na pewno nie jest to książka dla wszystkich, bo niektórym ta "dosłowność" może doskwierać.
June 30, 2021
Przeciętna obyczajówka, spełniła swoje zadanie - trochę się rozerwałem.
Polifonia w tym przypadku męczy, mnogość bohaterów i wydarzeń wprowadzają zamęt i lekki chaos.
Polifonia w tym przypadku męczy, mnogość bohaterów i wydarzeń wprowadzają zamęt i lekki chaos.
September 8, 2020
2.5*: I think I was expecting a pointed satire and what I got was a fairytale veering between didactic and cheesy. Not for me.
November 10, 2020
This felt like a queer ya book for straight people to read and learn to empathize with queer people for the first time. The narrative structure is messy and there’s very little closure on any plot lines that you actually care about. The ending seems like the author just got sick of writing and gave up.
June 14, 2023
(4.5) In Laskey’s debut, which has been marketed as a novel but reads more like linked short stories, a favorite format of mine, researchers have identified Big Burr, Kansas as the most homophobic town in America. A task force from Acceptance Across America descends on the rural backwater for a targeted two-year program promoting education and friendship. Each chapter is a first-person, present-tense confession from a local or a queer visitor, whose stories interlock and push the chronology forward. For every positive step – a gender-neutral bathroom in the high school, a closeted individual who summons up the courage to come out – there is a regressive one, such as a AAA billboard being set on fire or a house being egged.
Laskey inhabits all 11 personae with equal skill and compassion. Avery, the task force leader’s daughter, resents having to leave L.A. and plots an escape with her new friend Zach, a persecuted gay teen. Christine, a Christian homemaker, is outraged about the liberal agenda, whereas her bereaved neighbor, Linda, finds purpose and understanding in volunteering at the AAA office. Food hygiene inspector Henry is thrown when his wife leaves him for a woman, and meat-packing maven Lizzie agonizes over the question of motherhood. Task force members David, Tegan and Harley all have their reasons for agreeing to the project, but some characters have to sacrifice more than others.
Little references in later chapters catch you up on what’s happened with the others. I only questioned the need for Elsie as a POV character, and the exclusion of Jamal (presumably Laskey thought it unwise to write from the perspective of a Black man, but he’s a glaring omission). A final chapter, returning to one of the protagonists and set 10 years later, presents a town that’s changed enough to host its first gay wedding and first LGBTQ-owned business.
The novel is realistically sad, but not overly so, and was compellingly readable and heartwarming in a way that reminded me of how I felt about Shotgun Lovesongs. You might not want to live there, but I guarantee you’ll develop a certain fondness for Big Burr.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Laskey inhabits all 11 personae with equal skill and compassion. Avery, the task force leader’s daughter, resents having to leave L.A. and plots an escape with her new friend Zach, a persecuted gay teen. Christine, a Christian homemaker, is outraged about the liberal agenda, whereas her bereaved neighbor, Linda, finds purpose and understanding in volunteering at the AAA office. Food hygiene inspector Henry is thrown when his wife leaves him for a woman, and meat-packing maven Lizzie agonizes over the question of motherhood. Task force members David, Tegan and Harley all have their reasons for agreeing to the project, but some characters have to sacrifice more than others.
Little references in later chapters catch you up on what’s happened with the others. I only questioned the need for Elsie as a POV character, and the exclusion of Jamal (presumably Laskey thought it unwise to write from the perspective of a Black man, but he’s a glaring omission). A final chapter, returning to one of the protagonists and set 10 years later, presents a town that’s changed enough to host its first gay wedding and first LGBTQ-owned business.
The novel is realistically sad, but not overly so, and was compellingly readable and heartwarming in a way that reminded me of how I felt about Shotgun Lovesongs. You might not want to live there, but I guarantee you’ll develop a certain fondness for Big Burr.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 12, 2020
hoping someone writes a serious critique of this book.
(but on a non-serious note, lesbians IN THE YEAR 2020 rewatching QUEER AS FOLK for the TENTH TIME ....... what the fuck)
(but on a non-serious note, lesbians IN THE YEAR 2020 rewatching QUEER AS FOLK for the TENTH TIME ....... what the fuck)
September 10, 2020
Thanks to Riverhead Books for the free advance copy of this book.
Big Burr, Kansas, is a small town proud of their family values. But when a national LGBT nonprofit pinpoints them as the most homophobic town in America and sends a task force to begin changing hearts and minds, no one is quite ready for what happens next.
UNDER THE RAINBOW is sharp, funny, and heartfelt. I worried that this premise might mean a book full of character stereotypes, and while some minor characters certainly are, Laskey manages to bring an impressive breadth and depth of experiences to this fairly short book. We see the upheaval from so many points of view, both from locals and from task force members, and no two stories are the same.
I also appreciated that while the book did end on a warm, changed-life note, it wasn't a sappy "now everyone in town is liberal and open minded" story. Throughout the book it all still felt pretty real, with some folks remaining stubbornly hateful. That didn't keep the book from being funny, though, which was quite the balancing act.
Big Burr, Kansas, is a small town proud of their family values. But when a national LGBT nonprofit pinpoints them as the most homophobic town in America and sends a task force to begin changing hearts and minds, no one is quite ready for what happens next.
UNDER THE RAINBOW is sharp, funny, and heartfelt. I worried that this premise might mean a book full of character stereotypes, and while some minor characters certainly are, Laskey manages to bring an impressive breadth and depth of experiences to this fairly short book. We see the upheaval from so many points of view, both from locals and from task force members, and no two stories are the same.
I also appreciated that while the book did end on a warm, changed-life note, it wasn't a sappy "now everyone in town is liberal and open minded" story. Throughout the book it all still felt pretty real, with some folks remaining stubbornly hateful. That didn't keep the book from being funny, though, which was quite the balancing act.
January 6, 2021
I really enjoyed Celia Laskey's
Under the Rainbow
! This book is a collection of stories by residences of small town Big Burr, Kansas. When an activist group arrives in Big Burr, a town deemed as the most homophobic town in the nation, a series of reactions grows immensely. Polarizing and jaw dropping, this book is definitely one that will stay with me for awhile. I did take one star off as there wasn't much closure for the many characters in this novel (besides my favorite character). I can't wait to see what Celia Laskey has up her sleeves next.
April 29, 2020
"Hetero shaming"
The book starts by giving a "definition" of "hetero shaming". This poor girl has to come out as heterosexual to her mothers, who, according to her, quote "basically raised me like a dog-show poodle to be the most perfect lesbian ever, with just the right amount of feminist theory and fall flannels and whale watching. Not that there's any whale watching here, and not that my moms are even together anymore."
This is the first page. There's so many harmful stereotypes on this first page that it is hard to parse.
Big fat DNF from me for that.
The book starts by giving a "definition" of "hetero shaming". This poor girl has to come out as heterosexual to her mothers, who, according to her, quote "basically raised me like a dog-show poodle to be the most perfect lesbian ever, with just the right amount of feminist theory and fall flannels and whale watching. Not that there's any whale watching here, and not that my moms are even together anymore."
This is the first page. There's so many harmful stereotypes on this first page that it is hard to parse.
Big fat DNF from me for that.
January 5, 2021
Is it too early to call my favorite book of 2021? Yes. But, I have a feeling this will be at the tippy top of my favorites for this year. So hopeful and inspiring, I loved every minute of this charming story. It balances hard hitting and cozy really well. Brilliant!
CW: Homophobia, Transphobia, Infidelity, Bullying, and Animal death
CW: Homophobia, Transphobia, Infidelity, Bullying, and Animal death
May 29, 2021
3,5 👩❤️💋👩 Przyjemna, lekka książka opowiadająca o naprawdę ważnych rzeczach, na które za mało ludzi zwraca uwagę. Niedługo całą recenzję zamieszczę na moim ig 🤎
September 4, 2019
This book is about a group of LGBTQ rights activists who move to the so-called 'Most Homophobic Town in America' for two years in an effort to change hearts and minds. There are multiple narrators (some residents, some activists), which I'm sometimes wary of because it's a trope that's been done poorly more times than it's been done well. A book can get messy with all those characters voicing their opinions and wielding their omniscience all over the place. As soon as I saw that Under the Rainbow featured a table of contents listing its eleven narrators, I kind of groaned inwardly, to be honest. I was wrong, though, because Celia Laskey employs this device kind of brilliantly. I was won over almost immediately.
Something about the way Laskey structured this book made it feel fresh - I really liked that each of the eleven only gets one chapter to narrate (with only one exception), but all the narrating characters appear in other chapters too, so we get to experience the contrast between their inner monologue and how they're perceived by everyone else. We get to know their secrets: secret doubts, desires, and shame. Secret lives, in some cases. By the end, I couldn't have imagined this story being told any other way.
Something about the way Laskey structured this book made it feel fresh - I really liked that each of the eleven only gets one chapter to narrate (with only one exception), but all the narrating characters appear in other chapters too, so we get to experience the contrast between their inner monologue and how they're perceived by everyone else. We get to know their secrets: secret doubts, desires, and shame. Secret lives, in some cases. By the end, I couldn't have imagined this story being told any other way.
February 29, 2020
Big thanks to Riverhead Books for a free copy.
I so enjoyed Under the Rainbow - it's a wry, sharp novel. The premise: After Big Burr, Kansas is determined to be the most homophobic town in tbe U.S., a team from Acceptance Across America moves in for a short time to conduct advocacy work.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person - a gamble that I think really pays off and yielded a rich narrative. This is the story of queer individuals moving to a conservative town, but it's also the story of that town, of change, of bravery and foolishness and life.
I just thought this one was fantastic, and I'll be thinking about some of these characters for awhile. Given its various themes and layers, it's perfect for your book club.
Content warnings:
I so enjoyed Under the Rainbow - it's a wry, sharp novel. The premise: After Big Burr, Kansas is determined to be the most homophobic town in tbe U.S., a team from Acceptance Across America moves in for a short time to conduct advocacy work.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person - a gamble that I think really pays off and yielded a rich narrative. This is the story of queer individuals moving to a conservative town, but it's also the story of that town, of change, of bravery and foolishness and life.
I just thought this one was fantastic, and I'll be thinking about some of these characters for awhile. Given its various themes and layers, it's perfect for your book club.
Content warnings:
January 28, 2021
4.5 stars
Under The Rainbow is the story of a non profit called Acceptance Across America. AAA sends LGBTQ folx to a small town in Kansas that appears to be filled with bigots to see if they can be transformed into reasonable people.
I LOVED this book. Each chapter is from a different perspective of someone living in town either through AAA or because it’s home. AAA is met with a lot of resistance. Residents are depicted as “under the rainbow” as they have yet to evolve into the rainbow filled land seen in the Wizard of Oz. Many parts of this book made me chuckle, like when a desperate housewife is attempting to angrily smash her dinner plates and remembers she bought practically indestructible ones. Other parts are very dark as we closely examine homophobia.
Yes, we get stereotypes of small towns here, and we also get characters with incredible depth despite only meeting them for a short time. It leaves us with lots of think about in terms of interacting with people we don’t like or agree with. One character mentions, “I still kind of hate her, at least for a glimmer I think I understood her”. This book gave me hope and I highly recommend it!
Under The Rainbow is the story of a non profit called Acceptance Across America. AAA sends LGBTQ folx to a small town in Kansas that appears to be filled with bigots to see if they can be transformed into reasonable people.
I LOVED this book. Each chapter is from a different perspective of someone living in town either through AAA or because it’s home. AAA is met with a lot of resistance. Residents are depicted as “under the rainbow” as they have yet to evolve into the rainbow filled land seen in the Wizard of Oz. Many parts of this book made me chuckle, like when a desperate housewife is attempting to angrily smash her dinner plates and remembers she bought practically indestructible ones. Other parts are very dark as we closely examine homophobia.
Yes, we get stereotypes of small towns here, and we also get characters with incredible depth despite only meeting them for a short time. It leaves us with lots of think about in terms of interacting with people we don’t like or agree with. One character mentions, “I still kind of hate her, at least for a glimmer I think I understood her”. This book gave me hope and I highly recommend it!
March 18, 2020
Lovely debut novel that follows a task force of LGBTQ people sent to "The Most Homophobic Town" in America, Big Burr, Kansas. I liked this book - the writing is solid, and Laskey did a great job of setting us in scenes. This book jumps from character to character, and I felt a loss that we didn't get to know certain characters like Avery, Zach, even Karen, deeper. It felt like we got too short of a time with each character. Some of this could have been because I'd just read Girl, Woman, Other, which is a master class in shifting viewpoints and interconnected characters. This book was a solid debut and I'll read whatever she writes next, it just wasn't mindblowing. I also would love to hear a queer person from middle America/a small town's thoughts on this book.
April 20, 2021
Rep: lesbian characters, gay mcs, Black gay character, nonbinary mc, bi mc, sapphic trans mc, Iranian American sapphic side character, paraplegic side character
CWs: homophobic slurs, homophobia, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, car accidents, internalised homophobia, animal death
mixed feelings about this, to be honest. there was too much focus on homophobic straights for my liking (which, i get it, it's kind of a point) and i definitely liked some narrators more than others. so. overall, did i like it? i guess?
CWs: homophobic slurs, homophobia, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, car accidents, internalised homophobia, animal death
mixed feelings about this, to be honest. there was too much focus on homophobic straights for my liking (which, i get it, it's kind of a point) and i definitely liked some narrators more than others. so. overall, did i like it? i guess?
September 27, 2021
This was an interesting read. It felt a little cliché at times and there were a few too many loose ends for my taste, but there was a lot to think about here. I was expecting something a little different. Maybe a bit more satire? I'm not sure. It wasn't bad, just not quite what I was hoping for.
September 25, 2020
I'm at 2.5 stars on this one. It's not a novel, despite what the book cover says--the stories are casually linked, with some recurring characters and a common setting, but there is no narrative arc here and little effort to construct a consistent, unified whole. I couldn't generate much enthusiasm for anyone or their problems...the characters were flat, and the situations cliched. There's nothing distinctive in the writing, either. The book is full of good intentions and a positive message--but that only takes this reader so far...to 2.5 stars.
October 25, 2020
I agree with what's been said - this book was very readable.and compelling enough that I finished it, but also I kind of hated it and don't really like these people?
I found the entire premise to be reductive and condescending and I was really hoping the task force members would learn that by the end.
Just when I was getting into any particular story, it would end and we never heard from that character again. There were several moments that were truly devastating, but the healing process was left unfinished or unwritten, which made the book seem pointless and unsatisfying.
I found the entire premise to be reductive and condescending and I was really hoping the task force members would learn that by the end.
Just when I was getting into any particular story, it would end and we never heard from that character again. There were several moments that were truly devastating, but the healing process was left unfinished or unwritten, which made the book seem pointless and unsatisfying.
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