January 29, 2024
Conley turns from the homophobic Baptist upbringing of his memoir Boy Erased to 1730 Massachusetts for a finely tuned debut novel about a queer love affair between a reverend and a doctor. Rev. Nathaniel Whitfield bonds with his parishioner Arthur Lyman when the latter treats Nathaniel’s frail younger child Ezekiel for an unknown illness. While the forbidden love story of the two men is at the core of the narrative, its scope and depth comes from the empathic and complex treatment of the other family members, including Nathaniel’s daughter, Sarah, who in 1765 receives letters from Ezekiel referencing an estrangement between the siblings that he seeks to heal. Conley’s prose is slightly formal but also direct and rhythmic, as in the opening lines, written from a young Ezekiel’s perspective: “The shore of his mother, her warmth sheltering his infant body from the cold. The shore of his sister, pressing her nose on his.” An author’s note on Conley’s research into 18th-century clandestine gay life offers welcome context to Nathaniel and Arthur’s bewilderment and guilt over their undeniable love. This is a potent chronicle of an underexplored era in queer history.
May 31, 2024
Cana, MA, founded by the pious Reverend Nathaniel Whitfield, has been established as a utopian society that welcomes Christians from all backgrounds with the promise of including them in the fold. It is 1730, the beginning of the religious revival movement known as the Great Awakening. Bostonian doctor Arthur Lyman is attracted to Cana by its promise of love, and he is further drawn in by Nathaniel's eloquence and intoxicating presence. Despite the danger, the two men embark on a secret love affair, struggling to make sense of their overwhelming feelings while also honoring their bonds with their wives and families. Conley's (Boy Erased) novel juxtaposes the characters' world-shattering revelations against the claustrophobic social and religious culture of the time. Pete Cross's skillful narration captures the complexity of both main characters, communicating their zealotry as well as the tenderness that blooms between them. VERDICT A lyrically written work of queer historical fiction, piercingly describing a time when forging one's own path was difficult or even deadly. Recommended for those who enjoyed Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart or The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.--Elyssa Everling
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