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This is a beautiful book.
It opens in Garcy, Kansas, population 236, in 1993, the year best friends Brian and Tony graduate from the high school in a neighboring town, where they're the only members of the graduating class from their town. There are no other young people around, and in particular no girls for miles in every direction. Brian in particular, fears he'll never get laid ... and Tony suggests they solve their dilemma by moving to San Francisco, where so many of the men are gay that all the girls will be left over for them. When they announce this to Brian's mother Eunice, she assumes they're both gay, and smotheringly, hilariously, begins her own personal gay pride mission, complete with rainbow flag, which she waves proudly as the bus pulls away. The boys have some truly hysterical adventures, pretend to be a gay couple, become best friends with an elderly drag queen, get caught up in an ex-gay and holy roller group ... well, I don't want to give all the poop away.
The author has a David Sedaris-like touch with humor, but it's not just a comedy. In a way it's a triple love story - there's a romance, there's the love story that is San Francisco - and for anyone who has ever lived in that city, it was like reading a tribute to a dear friend, and there's the love story of friendship. As the story unfolded, I don't know what I did more, laugh or cry. The characters are wonderful - I loved the smothering mother, Eunice, the marvelous Stella Delish, the limo driver, lovely Lizbeth, and both the young boys. I loved the crazy string of adventures that resulted from a well-meaning lie, and the especially the surprise ending.
Bravo.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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