What I Know Now

by Rodger Larson

In 1957 in California, having fallen in love with a young man who has come to his house to build a garden, a fourteen-year-old gay boy finds his life and his world view changing.

Genres: LGBT, Queer

262 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A patron I especially like made me read this, something I almost never do, but she and I have spoken about books a lot, and I made her read Marilynne Robinson's books, which are way more time-consuming to read. Still, until I was about halfway through, I felt kind of pissy about reading this. But it's a really good book, about a 14-year-old boy named Dave in 1957 California coming to terms with his sexuality, and with his relationship with his father. It must have been terrifying to be gay-- or maybe bi?- in the 1950s, and Dave is only dimly aware of his sexuality for most of this book. His father seems to be aware of it-- and doesn't accept it. And a young man who is helping his mother design and set up her garden is clearly aware of it, too, and wants to help. Everything's rendered with subtlety and the writing is very nice. I liked the details about the garden, about plants and garden design.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the summer of 1957 Dave Ryan turned 14. He also became a gardener and discovered the he could have feelings for a man that others generally reserved for women. This Californian farm boy begins to learn a bit about himself and his orientation (and about gardening) through the tutelage and friendship of Gene Tole, a man that Dave's recently separated mother has hired to build a garden at her family's home.

The story is a quiet coming of age with no major tempestuous confrontations or even any terribly dramatic plot crises but it is a story that many can probably identify with. My own rural upbringing was about 14 years later than the one depicted here but so I probably enjoyed the tale more than most. But if you're in the mood for a quiet coming out story, this might be a good choice.

[Matty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the characters in this book, even the secondary characters, they were all interesting and pretty well developed. The main character had a pretty clear voice and was very likable. This was a different perspective for a coming of age novel than what I've read before since it was set in a small farming town in the 1950's. It wasn't always clear where the book was going and it ended a bit abruptly, but was still a good book and easy to read.