Full Circle

by Michael Thomas Ford

At the behest of his estranged friend Jack, history professor Ned Brummel arrives in Chicago to visit Andy, a friend who is terminally ill, and reflects upon the past events that have shaped his world and relationships with these two very different men.

Genres: LGBT, Gay, Fiction, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M M Romance, Romance

422 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Michael Thomas Ford is the author of more than 75 books in genres ranging from humor to horror, literary fiction to nonfiction. His work for adult readers includes the best-selling novels What We Remember, The Road Home, Changing Tides, Full Circle, Looking for It and Last Summer, and his five essay collections in the "Trials of My Queer Life" series. His novel Lily was a Tiptree Award Longlist title and a finalist for both the Lambda Literary Award and the Shirley Jackson Award. He is also the author of the Sickening Adventures series of books featuring popular contestants from RuPaul's Drag Race.

As a writer for young adults he is the author of the novels Suicide Notes, Z, and Love & Other Curses, and under the name Isobel Bird he wrote the popular "Circle of Three" series. His work has been nominated for 14 Lambda Literary Awards, twice winning for Best Humor Book, twice for Best Romance Novel, and once for Best Mystery. He was also nominated for a Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award (for his novel The Dollhouse That Time Forgot).

Reviews

[Nick Pageant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at the perfect time. My most recent ungettable crush is this guy



his name is Joe Dallesandro. In order to get him I would require a time machine and the social cache to get myself into Studio 54. Joe was a hustler who somehow got close to Andy Warhol, who put him in a series of art films and made him famous. He was a beauty, for sure, but he is also emblematic of a certain time in gay history that I often perversely wish I could have experienced.

My recent obsession with Joe has had me watching his films, reading articles about Andy Warhol, listening to Lou Reed songs, and finding myself brattily resentful of the relatively safe and healthy period of time into which I was born. I've been thinking that it's all terribly boring. I said as much to my best friend right before starting this book, bemoaning the fact that we never got to experience any of the gay cliches like bathhouses, poppers, and anonymous gangbangs. My friend, being wise and polite, did not point out the fact that I sounded not only ungrateful, but also like a bit of a wishful whore. All he said was that while that time sounded exciting, it had all ended badly and we should count ourselves lucky that we were born when we were. He's right, of course, but I can't help but be curious about what life must have been like for those guys.

So, now that I've had my therapy session, this book is the bomb-diggity! Since I don't have a time machine, I'm thankful that Michael Thomas Ford has written a great trip to the recent past. It's the story of three men who spend their entire lives together. They're born at just the right time to experience all the big events in gay history. The reader gets a front-row seat for Harvey Milk and Anita Bryant, the Stonewall Riots, San Francisco when it was the place to be, and the end of the party with the AIDS crisis.

The MCs are infuriatingly real. They make huge mistakes, they're willfully, stupidly cruel to one another. Through it all, though, they're family. The title says it all; these guys start off together and end together. I ate this one up and I think you will too.

Now, join me in my yearning for days gone by with this video. Then, get to work on the time machine. I'll bring the poppers.

[Ingie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written March 4, 2015

5 Stars - I'm amazed and stunned. - This was a marathon journey. Both exciting, exhausting and long.

..And when it's over you're completely drained and empty. Wow!! I actually made it.

My first novel by Michael Thomas Ford. It will be more.



These men and their story don't want to let go of me...
I finished this book Monday evening, more than 24 hours ago, and I'm stilled filled with thoughts, sorrow, small smiles and strange nostalgic feelings. I loved so much about this novel but I'm not sure I want to think about it any more now. This is maybe too near real life.. and real life isn't a dance on roses. We get older, moves on, changes and people in our lives disappear.

(Be aware: Full Circle is a novel about gay men and love, but it's not a 'romance' book. It is a novel about life.)

***********************************************

Without exaggeration is Full Circle a very impressive, unquestionably well written —long and extensive— novel. It is a fictional tale about life, love, friends and some important events in our (U.S') contemporary history from the 50s until presens day (first published 2005).

This story is told by a man, Ned Brummel, remembering his two friends and his life. He is looking back many years later...

Ned tells us, in a funny, amusing and often thoughtful philosophical way, the story about himself and his two life 'companions'. We follow for years Ned and his from childhood best buddy and neighbor, Jackson 'Jack' Grace. Jack is the blond beautiful boy who is born just a few hours before Ned in August 1950.

Later arrive the third player to this 'team', Andy Kowalski. A charming handsome farm boy who Ned and Jack meet already their first day in collage the year 1969.

“Straight people get married so that they can have sex. Gay men have sex so that they can get friends.”

I both loved and hated these men. They took dumb decisions, they did silly things, they said unforgettable words. These men were not always "good" men, they more than once dissapointed and hurt each other. I wanted to yell and scream at them. ~ But they felt real. They loved, cared and tried. Not our usually book heroes but 'human' men.

It is completely impossible for me to even try to explain this storyline and why these characters did, didn't do, things in their lives. It was heartbreaking many times. I wished I just could forget it all sometimes, but I was totally mesmerized. I will for sure never forget Ned, Jack, Andy, Allan, John etc etc, or their story. ~ It's fiction but I feel the touch of an unadulterated reality and an for us all needed history lesson. Truly very believable.

***********************************************

I listened to the 17:30 hrs audiobook narrated by Blake Somerset ~ For me is this the kind of story that is absolutely perfect for the audiobook form. Full Circle is from start to finish told by the main character Ned. This is his story and his voice and I'm so very grateful (yes that's the right word) to the splended and wise choice of the narrator in Mr. Somerset.

I don't know if you like to listening to your books or not but in this case must I say that Full Circle is a highly recommended audiobook to try. Big applause to a simply fantastic audiobook edition

***********************************************

What to add, what to say?

My 'conclusion':
Full Circle is a simply heart touching read. Fabulous for any readers who loves: epic life stories, books about friendship, stories filled with (interesting) contemporary history facts, well written very long novels, and uncompromising truly belivable novels about gay mens situation in the 60s - 80s. — But be aware, there are a lot of heartbreaking moments, this is for you brave readers (unlike me) with a strong (rapid healing) heart. If you are tempted, try and enjoy.

I LIKE - without a doubt - this is exceptionally well done and mesmerizing reading (listening)


*****
A buddyread with Sofia and Irina. ~ Thanks Ladies!

[LenaRibka · Rating 5 out of 5]

...there will always be friendship and love, and between the two of them, there are mysteries enough to last lifetimes.

Sometimes the best part of a mystery is that it can never be solved to our satisfaction. Like God and death, the question of what drives the heart may be one we never fully understand.

13 November, 2014, when I finished the book:

Now I'll go for a long long walk...thinking about this book...

And then I'll cook...thinking about this book...

Later I'll have a glass of wine with my hubby watching the last news...thinking about this book...

We'll talk, make plans, I'll pretend to listen to him but...I'll be thinking about this book...


And later I'll try to write some lines about this book...knowing that I'll never be able to do it right.

Review to come...



Update 14. November 2014:

The book starts with a phone call in the middle of the night. As Ned Brummel, a 56 years History Professor, picks up the phone, he hears the voice of his boyhood friend Jack, whom he's seen the last time over 12 years ago. There is a sad reason for this call. But it awakes all old memories both good and bad, sad and beautiful.
And the journey back into the past starts to go through over 50 years and ends to the present time.

Thus, the circle is closed...


The book is a heart-wrenching, DEEPLY emotional epic story of love and friendship over decades, about a male lifetime bonding, about the significant changes in the modern society, from the Vietnam war, through the gay activities in gay history, AIDS epidemic to the now-days.

BRILLIANTLY written. A true masterpiece.



Who need my review if there is an excellent Ije's review to this book.
Please, READ it!

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically all our stories are stories of life and death which feed on into each other. Circle of Life and Death intertwined together with friendship, family, jealousy, love, loneliness, anger, joy, laughter.

Ford took me on a long hike to follow the trails and tribulations of half a century with Ned and through his eyes, those of his friends Jack and Andy, family and others. Ford uses Ned to narrate this ‘documentary’ and in a way, he is not just a fictional character but a representative, a spokesperson through whom we get to know the story of the social/political history of a slice of America for the latter half of the 20th century.

Can’t really be read as a novel, rather as a continuous parade of happenings and people with Ned as the fulcrum. Peppered with pop culture icons, some of whom I recognised, many I’m sure not. After the first quarter of the book, I realised that I could not connect with the characters, as soon as I started to connect to a particular part of the story, I had to leave it for the next happening and the next and the next. When comparing this book to other books I read which dealt with the same themes, happenings, I find that I had better reading experiences when I was not so inundated with facts and the story concentrated on a part of what this book dealt with rather than all of it.

Apart from the sad over-note which permeates the book another curious point I noted was the young/old culture which is very prevalent. People over thirty are considered as old and in a way as if there life has now been lived and nothing else of note is going to happen. Personally I don’t and I do not want to subscribe to this point of view. Considering that average life span is increasing more and more and we are living well into our seventies. I am not ready to box myself up and die. My life is what I make it and I want to believe that more of the best is yet to come.

I got a dilemma to rate this book. I liked the voice, the writing. It was in fact this that kept me reading, so it’s 4 stars for that. On the other hand I did not like how the story/pilot/format was laid out so I could not enjoy that from that end, so it’s 2 stars for that. I’m going to end up rounding up to 3 stars to get some kind of average.

BR with Ingela and Irina - thanks for the company girls

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book so far this year.

What an amazing story!!

It was gripping, emotional, intellectually engaging, heart-rending and deeply, deeply satisfying. I think it will be hard to find another book this year that affects me so deeply.

The story follows the lives of two men who grew up together in the turbulence of the USA in the sixties. It is an amazing journey as well as being informative and eye opening. Through the lives of these men I have lived through the turbulence of the sixties including the Vietnam war and the birth of the US gay rights movement. Incredible!

In summary, this excellent story follows the life and loves of two childhood friends Ned and Jack, and what happens to them when they both become friends and lovers with Andy, a close life time friend who they meet at college.

The story starts in the sixties and progresses through times of immense social change. As we follow the lives of these three men we get to see how these world events change and touch them, especially as they come to know themselves and each other, and as each of them explores their sexuality.

I was taken through the recovery from world war 2, the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement, the Stonewall Riots, assassinations of John Kennedy and John Lennon and the confusion and fear that came with the onset of the AIDS pandemic. All of these events are seen and experienced in through the lives of Ned, Jack and Andy.

It is a really excellent story. The writing as is usual from this author is gripping and draws you into the lives of Ned and Jack from the first page. It is also a story which brings the emotions and feelings of these men to life on the page. We get to understand how the men eventually become the adults they are by the end of the book and also how each one of them contributes to the lives of the other two.

It is also a book about social events, history and the way in which Americans experienced the turbulent sixties. The story has an excellent way of also outlining the progress of gay rights and how each man eventually comes to understand their sexuality and also their sexual identity. It is a story which embraces love, friendship and family in a way that is gritty and emotional, but without being angsty. Reading this book was similar to watching a film because the author writes in a way that evokes the imagination.

I also found it really informative and educational. I came to understand the huge changes as people moved from the free sexual expression of the sixties to cautious sexual expression of the nineties. I also experienced the impact of the AIDS pandemic on gay Americans in the eighties and early days of the pandemic. I didn't grow up in the global North and so I missed the fear and stigma that was initially experienced by so many. My own work as an HIV activist came much much later with advances in treatment, but I still mourn the loss of so many millions all over the world and the devastating impact the pandemic has had on my fellow Africans. This book is also special because it showed me these events through the lives of people who should have been enjoying their prime.

The story is also one of courage. Of reaching out again and again to find love and to care for others.

This book captures so much history, so much emotion and so much love. It is a beautiful story of love, family and friendship. I have read a few books by this author and have never been disappointed, but this one for me is truly the best. Michael Thomas Ford really knows how to tell a story and he has told one that has enriched me and left me with a deeper appreciation of the history of the many people who society has wanted to push to the edges and keep to the margins.

Through this story I have been able to find my own place and see my own contribution to the work of making our world more just for all. In a little way this marvellous story has enabled me to understand some of my own full circles.

Pure excellence!

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We tend to only remember what we want to."

Very interesting book, I devoured the 450 pages within a day and a half. I felt, however, that the first half of the book was stronger than the second.

Ned, the narrator, prefaces this 50 years long story saying:

I fear that given my role in the events, I'm an unreliable narrator. At best, my memories are tarnished by years spent trying to erase them, so that what remain are faded, possibly beyond recognition.

Perhaps for that reason at times, mostly in the second half, the story felt less personal, detached even. Many historical events that had affected Ned’s life, both directly and indirectly, are included in the book and sometimes I felt as if watching a documentary.

I really liked the beginning, Ned and Jack’s early years and coming of age years.

Our mothers joked that while Jack's first word was "more," mine was "why."

I enjoyed even more their college years – the time when they met Andy and the mistakes started rolling one after the other. Wrong decisions, bad choices, lies – all very human.

These were the parts of the book where I learned the most about Ned, Jack and their families, and Andy, where I got to understand all the connections and relationships between the characters.

And then the years Ned, Jack and Andy spend in San Francisco where finally the three of them reconcile their differences and become a family. One that didn’t last long, but still a family.

Families stay together out of obligations based on blood and sense of duty. We stayed together because we were all pieces of the same machine. Each of us had a different function. Jack was the engine. Andy was the fuel. And I, well, I suppose I was the brake that prevented everything from crashing.

Sadly, I wasn’t that engaged in the story after the events in 1980, that’s where it lost its personal touch for me. But the more I thought about it after I finished the book, the more I felt that this was because these were the most difficult years for Ned and bringing out all those memories was painful.

As Ned was nearing the end of this tale and wondering about the mysteries of love and friendship, I knew he was happy that he had experienced both. He was no longer regretting things that happened or didn't happen, he did not want to erase those memories any more. And it was all that mattered.

[Smith Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid heavy hitter..but depressing as fuck.
Here is an excellent review that's much more informative than my POS attempt.

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Like God and death, the question of what drives the heart may be one we never fully understand.”

I haven't read anything by MTF before, so the first thing that grabbed my attention was his beautiful writing with the melancholic undertone and some valuable philosophical observations. In other words, my favourite kind. However, the more I read, the worse it affected me. I got consumed by dark depressing thoughts this story evoked and desperately wanted to break free, but was equally transfixed enough to see it to the end. I admit, Full Circle scared me. I'm not living in denial exactly, but seeing so much death through Ned's eyes had horrified me.

I have also struggled with all the historical facts and names. It was quite enlightening and I've learned a few interesting things which I always appreciate, but at times, it felt rather tedious. Not because I considered that information unimportant or irrelevant but because, not being born into that generation or culture, gave me little connection or recollection of it, unfortunately. If anything, it just distracted me from the story itself.

What I did enjoy, however, was the idea of a life cycle in which the story was presented, even though for Ned and Jack it wasn't yet complete. We follow the lives of three friends for over fifty years, and, like all of us, they try to find themselves through trial and error and finally make peace with their past mistakes, regrets and choices. In times of war, homophobia and AIDS, theirs wasn't an easy journey, not by a long shot. But then, whose life ever is?

***3.7 stars***

BR with Sofia and Ingela ~ thank you!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an avide reader. Usually, I don't write to author.

But today ...
Armisted Maupin ... Tales of the City, it was love at the first sight, 25 years ago.
I was recently looking for something new.
Searching for Maupin, I did retrieve your 6 titles in fiction with Kensington.
I went online and I did buy all titles, new and used.
You're my greatest discovery in many years!
I'm almost KO these days after reading all titles.

Thank you so much for all your fantastic work.
And in particular, thank you for Full Circle
Thank you for leaving me flabbergasted so many times;
Thank you for disturbing me with your great writing;
Thank you for all those emotions;
Thank you for that amazing story;
Thank your inclusion of French Canada :)

We need a sequel to Full Circle:)
We need Jack telling his story or a new story;
We need new chapters starting with the 90's;
We need stories of survivors! (many have hilarious stories about huge use of credit cards after results)
We need a story for our latest fights, our latest lost, our latest moments of happiness;
We need a story about great role of Montreal (Quebec, Canada) in recent GLBT history;
We want Jack and Todd to finally really marry!
We want Ned and Thayer to be of great help for others ...
We need new stories about our chosen families.
We need to share our history.

[Gregory Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ned Brummel, a history professor living in Maine with his partner of 12 years, is sent on a trip down memory lane when he receives word that an old friend is dying. While Ned travels to Chicago to be by his friend's bedside we are taken through his life story. Ned's profession is not an accident, as he will prove to be an excellent guide through a tumultuous time period.

Born in 1950, Ned is an accidental witness to a wildly active period in gay history. He comes of age at the same time that the Stonewall riots occur, spends a tour in Vietnam, navigates the minefield of the AIDS crisis, witnesses the era of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and settles into the modern age of It Gets Better. It's like a primer on gay history for the last sixty years, which has proven to be a fascinating time of hardship and strife, but also of progress and change. Any gay man wanting to know what it was like to live as a gay man in the latter half of the 20th century would do well to pick up this novel. But this isn't a mere history lesson, so don't be daunted. Ned's life brushes with historical events in a manner similar to Forrest Gump, without so much of the cloying. One of my big pet peeves is when an author tries so desperately hard to contrive a way for his or her characters to be present at every significant event during a certain time period. For the most part, Ford makes it seem natural. It helps that some of the period details are merely hinted at. Ned sees a brassy singer performing in a bathhouse and speculates that she's got a big future. The lady in question is never named, but it seems clear that he means Bette Midler. These moments are fun. There are, however, some that don't work. Like when Ned and his friend Jack remark that Gloria Vanderbuilt's six-year old son Anderson Cooper is clearly gay. That's a touch too prescient (and a bit of an eye-roll).

Like I said, I don't want to get too caught up in the historical angle and scare you off. The personal story driving Ned's narrative doesn't deserve short shrift. It's a story of friendship, love, coming of age, and finding your own place in the world. It begins with Ned and Jack, neighbors born just one day apart. They are sure they will be best friends for life. In adolescence they realize they are both gay and begin experimenting, deepening their connection. All seems to be going well until they go to college and meet Andy, a seemingly heterosexual roommate that both Jack and Ned can't resist. Lust and resentment bloom, and the three men spend the next thirty years falling into and out of each other's lives. Hard times, good times, relationships, break-ups, swinging singles. Illness. Death. My god, it's like a gay version of Beaches.*

Is it a perfect novel? No. It has flaws. But it's a sweet story and well-told. It deserves to be read and experienced.

Grade: A

*Redundant

For more Great LGBT Book Recommendations, please visit the LGBT Books page on my blog.

[Paula´s Brief Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro precioso libro con una historia preciosa con muchos datos históricos.
Sí es cierto que se parece a otros ya escritos con personajes nacidos en los 50 que cuentan su historia desde el nuevo milenio, pero cada uno tiene sus personajes y su experiencia diferente por lo que no importa.
No es 5* porque ninguno de los tres MC (aunque está contado desde un solo POV) resulta maravilloso e inolvidable, la verdad es que por momentos acaban cayendo fatal, pero a lo mejor ese es el encanto del libro, y la prosa es realmente preciosa (un escritor para repetir, sin duda)
Se va a la carpeta de "A releer en algún momento" definitivamente

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Spoiler Alert:]

A random purchase, this book, in the midst of reading it, inadvertently forced me to concurrently look back at my life--reminiscing about my friends past and present, the inter-connections, the dramas...the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. It was profound. It was carnal. It was laughingly gut-wrenching, and uncontrollably tear-jerking. I found myself wanting the neighbors to end up together. But I guess in a way they did. One of the best novels I've read in a long time. It's only been a few days since I finished it (in which time I finished another of Ford's), but I'm missing the characters.

[Marq · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite poignant for me. The timeline was parallel with event in my life. From Vietnam to San Francisco, I suddenly found myself with these guys and reliving my days there. If you want to experience what it was like, I highly recommend reading Full Circle. The history of that time and what happened to our community is perfectly preserved in this book. Parts of it are very tough, particularly if this is part of your personal experience, but nevertheless, a cleansing experience.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much were the many references to actual historical events that I remember so well. There was also a certain amount of suspense for me, knowing that the AIDS epidemic was going to hit all these men who were so sexually active and wondering who would survive.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very relatable book. Having lived through the same time period as the protagonist it was like a trip down memory-lane. I love the writing and pacing of the story, it just all came together for me.
Five Stars!

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book if your going to read ANY of his books read this one its a beautiful story!

would make a great film!

[Pet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book from A-Z. I know this isn't a helpful review....

[Nicolas Chinardet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Circle is an epic story about logical families, spanning almost 60 decades, that presents us with a sweeping historical panorama of the second half of the 20th century. As such the book is very ambitious and like most ambitious books it doesn’t quite achieves its aim, though I enjoyed how much it is anchored by real/historic events.

The second half particularly tends to lose focus, at the same time that Ford seems to run out of space ideas or space: the last 20-odd years are covered within a short chapter or so.

And just like Ned and Jack at some point ask themselves why they are friends with Andy, the elusive third protagonist of the story, it seems difficult to figure out what the purpose of Andy’s character is in the plot, other than as a useful narrative device to move things along.

This is the third book by Ford that I’ve read (and I believe his third book too). His writing has improved tremendously from his two first efforts and, despite a few odd corners still, the style is highly readable, creating a captivating story, that made me in turn chuckle and tear up, and always kept me gripped.

[Astrid Inge · Rating 5 out of 5]

De jaren 60 tot en met begin jaren 90 in de VS beschreven; Vietnam, flower power, John F. Kennedy, Harvey Milk, Anita Bryant, disco, Ronald Reagan en AIDS, het komt allemaal voorbij in deze indrukwekkende roman van Michael Thomas Ford. Full Circle vertelt het verhaal van Ned en Jack en later Andy in deze roerige tijden, hun liefdes, vriendschappen, teleurstellingen en groei naar volwassenheid en het vinden van de eigen identiteit. Een indringend verhaal, over kwetsbare mensen die elkaar verraden en pijn doen, maar genoeg van elkaar houden om steeds weer terug te komen. Met zoveel emotie geschreven dat je er als lezer middenin staat.
Een topfavoriet onder mijn favoriete boeken.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic reading experience.

A long and winding history of friendship, love, hate, betrayal, redemption; it was all there, with all the emotions and feelings you never knew you wanted or needed from a book.

Very much a five-star read for me, but I'm deducting an imaginary star for the places where the author got long-winded in his descriptions and sidebars that didn't necessarily push the story forward. That aside, I loved the writing and became lost in the characters/faces/places too many times to count.

[B.J. Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Thomas Ford is an extraordinary story teller. From the opening pages of Full Circle, I was drawn into this richly diverse journey across several decades by his concise, clean style of writing and his delicious word choices. Sometimes I'd finish a paragraph and be compelled to go back and examine what arrangement of his words caused me to FEEL so palpably the moment of the story.

As the characters experience their separate full circles, readers will also experience a full circle of thoughts and emotions that will leave each, at one time, with a heady euphoria and the next, a raw ache. Ford will make each reader feel the dualities of life that the protagonist feels: certitude/confusion; rapture/disappointment; love/betrayal; enlightenment/frustration.

A worthwhile read and one I've put on my "to-read-again-someday" shelf.

[Dolphe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive effort by an author whose work continues to grow on me. Each novel I've read by Mr. Ford is successively superior to the last. This is an outstanding story of two friends' journey through life. The storytelling is rich and compelling. Much of the humor present in the earlier novels is far more subdued here and the result is a mature and ultimately uplifting tale.

[Richard Belfry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this book! One of the best books I have ever read! The way Ford takes us through the lives of the three main characters, their coming to terms with their homosexuality, their loves, lives, ups and downs spanning from the 50's through to now. Very well written and is a book that I would read over and over again.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Ford's five similar books, this has to be my favorite, and one I will re-read. Having been born the same year as the two main characters, I could really relate do them and their times. Like all the books I've read by Ford so far, there's always a few genuine "LOL" lines. "I'm saving myself for George (Harrison)" was one of the best here.

[KatieMc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the biggest little book ever. It's epic in time span and history, hitting many 20th century touchstones of gay life in America. It's intimate in following the lives of Ned, Jack and Andy. These are your everyman men who we observe navigating their lives, loving and caring for one another, and figuring what this life means.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this book. Sometimes the history lesson gets a bit overwhelming, but I learned so much about the era, especially the devastation of the AIDS virus, as seen through the eyes of three amazing men.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It's an epic story covering a gay man from birth to being in his 50s. It covers some of the most important periods in queer history, including the AIDS crisis. It's funny, it's sad, it's joyful and full of friendship and angst. So good.

[Peppermaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating! Like looking through a window of the past.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good gay saga. Even though this one lacked emotion.

[Steven Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

GAYBY BOOMERS

I was born six years (1956) after the two principal characters in this book by Michael Thomas Ford. Ned and Jack came into this world born minutes apart to two women who were best friends and neighbors. They grow up together, their parents remain close friends until their deaths, and the two boys discover they are gay when they enter adolescence. In high school they experiment. They begin college rooming together as closeted lovers. Then at the end of this rather lengthy book, now in their fifties, we find them reminiscing about their lives, still friends after all those years.

As the boys grow from childhood into adolescence, I felt I was watching a gay version of the ABC late 80s, early 90s hit sitcom, The Wonder Years. Political and cultural events, as well as the music of that era were integrated into the suburban lives of the Arnold family. Ford does the same here only in this story, the Kevin (Ned) and Peter (Jack) characters are more sexually interested in each other than they are in Winnie, the pretty girl who lives across the street.

Being a "gayby" boomer myself, my own life experience paralleled much of what these two fictional characters experienced throughout the second half of the twentieth century. As Ford creates his story and his characters' narratives, he surrounds them with history including Vietnam, draft dodging hippies, drug culture, the civil rights movement, Watergate, rock n' roll, pop culture, and of course the scourge of AIDS. I often was left feeling somewhat wistful after reading a chapter, in and recalling where I was and what I was doing at that time. In something of a bittersweet way, the conjuring of these memories is what I most liked about the book.

Of course, as part of Ford's social commentary, there is a comprehensive account of the gay rights movement from Stonewall forward. The AIDS epidemic in the 80s & 90s which of course primarily assaulted gay men and created great political and social upheaval, has significant impact on the main characters and the topic consumes a major portion of the story in the last third of the book.

There are a few instances where I found Ford's writing either awkward or implausible simply, it seemed, to advance his plot. Dialog sometimes was cliche and just didn't read very authentic to me. Still, to the great credit of this author, it is quite an achievement to write a story of this breadth and scope. Ford does a terrific job developing realistic arcs for each of his main characters as he takes us through the decades of their, and my, life.