Classics Club Spin #19: Giovanni's Room

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

This man was so talented!

I felt compelled to read more of his work 

after reading and reviewing 

Go Tell It on the Mountain.

This book did not disappoint! 

Neither did The Fire Next Time 

which I read just before Giovanni's Room. 

My immediate reaction to reading this book:

"Wow... That was really depressing..."

However, depressing as I may have felt it to be, 

I quickly decided this was likely an accurate reflection 

of more than just one man's conundrum 

when faced with sexual attraction  

that did not appear to fit 

with the heterosexual norm of the time. 

This book begins with David looking out of the window of the house in southern France that he and Hella had rented. This is following Hella's departure and an official end to their engagement. He is wondering if he ever really truly loved Hella at all... Then we learn that he had been living with Giovanni. In his "room." It was literally only a room. And not even "big enough for two." In so many ways...

David muses that perhaps his desire to "moor" himself to Hella and her decision to accept his proposal while traveling in Spain was nothing more than a desire to dispense with their "freedom," which he believes to be "nothing more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom." This is a rather well-worn conundrum. How effective is a human at handling complete "freedom," as it were? And, really, is there such a thing? I believe that in reality all of us humans "conform" to many varied social and cultural expectations, else there would be complete chaos and no cooperation or coordination amongst us, wouldn't there?

But people can't, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers, and their friends,

anymore than they can invent their parents. Life gives these and also takes them away

and the great difficulty is to say Yes to life. (10)

In recalling his first sexual encounter with another man, David depicts his great shame at the "vileness" represented by the tangled sheet at the foot of Joey's bed. Then he fears losing his manhood if others find out and finally, of his own father, who has no one (David believes) but him in his life since David's mother had died. Though it's rather obvious that David's father is an alcoholic who more often than not drags himself home late at night 'drunk as a skunk', as they say. His father's sister, Ellen, with whom they live, tries to get his father to realize what affect his behaviors can have on David:

'I certainly don't care...what you do with yourself. It isn't you I'm worried about...

It's only that you're the only person who has any authority over David...

And he only listens to me when he thinks it pleases you. 

Do you really think it's a good idea for David to see you staggering home drunk all the time?

And don't fool yourself...that he doesn't know where you're coming from, 

don't think he doesn't know about your women!' (3)

Unfortunately, David had never even considered women in his father's life...until then. And forever after he could never see a woman without wondering if his father had been "interfering" with her... Their argument concluded,

'And listen,' said my father suddenly, from the middle of the staircase, 

in a voice which frightened me, 'all I want for David is that he grow up to be a man. 

And when I say a man, Ellen, I don't mean a Sunday School teacher.'

'A man,' said Ellen, shortly, 'is not the same thing as a bull. Good-night.'

'Good-night,' he said, after a moment. 

And I heard him stagger past my door.

From that time on, with the mysterious, cunning, and dreadful intensity of the very young, 

I despised my father and hated Ellen...I don't know why.

But it allowed all of Ellen's prophecies about me to come true. 

She had said that there would come a time when nothing and nobody would be able to rule me, 

not even my father. And that time certainly came. It was after Joey. (23-24)

David admits

The incident with Joey had shaken me profoundly and its effect was to make me secretive and cruel. I could not discuss what had happened to me with anyone, 

I could not even admit it to myself; and, while I never thought about it, it remained, 

nevertheless, at the bottom of my mind, as still and as awful, as a decomposing corpse. 

And it changed, it thickened, it soured the atmosphere of my mind. 

Soon it was I who came staggering home late at night, it was I who found Ellen waiting up for me, 

Ellen and I who wrangled night in and night out. (24-25)

This basically sets the tone for the whole novel, as David later becomes embroiled in an affair with Giovanni, while his fiance is traveling in Spain, trying to decide whether she wishes to accept David's proposal of marriage. 

I could not help but wonder what affect a more open society might have had on David. When he specifically mentions there is NO ONE with whom he can speak about his male-to-male encounter with Joey and his father's irresponsible and neglectful behaviors. Would counseling have helped David better cope with these experiences? I just can't imagine that having someone he could trust to confess these feelings to wouldn't have helped him and perhaps he could have better determined his place in this world. Am I being too hopeful? An eternal optimist? I don't know, but I can't think it would have made his situation and adult life any less than it was... He was a "lost soul," in my opinion. And I felt so very sorry for him at this point. To feel totally abandoned, on your own, with no confidante or other support...that can be disabling. 

We were not like father and son, my father sometimes proudly said, we were like buddies.

I think my father sometimes actually believed this. I never did. 

I did not want to be his buddy; I wanted to be his son. (26)

A friend and I were discussing this very issue just the other day. It is a line that can be very difficult to determine sometimes--as a parent you don't want to alienate your child, yet there are situations when you must assert yourself as the "parent" and risk that occurring. And there is no tried and true "rule" to follow, it is a crap-shoot at best, and each child and parent relationship is totally unique to those two individuals. There is nothing easy about it. But it is obvious that David's father was living his own life independent of any parental responsibility or positive role modeling. Therefore, David is adrift in life and never seems to achieve any sense of stability. David continues,

He wanted no distance between us; he wanted me to look on him as a man like myself. 

But I wanted the merciful distance of father and son, 

which would have permitted me to love him. (26)

David is hospitalized after causing a wreck in his car which was full of his friends. It is after his father's visit that he realizes his father is in no shape to be a true parent. David finally moves out on his own which creates enough distance 

...much easier to deal with him and he never had any reason to feel shut out of my life 

for I was always able, when talking about it, to tell him what he wished to hear. 

And we got on quite well, really, for the vision I gave my father of my life 

was exactly the vision in which I myself most desperately needed to believe. (30)

It is at this point in the book that Baldwin waxes philosophical in a way I believe only he can/could do...

...I am--or I was--one of those people who pride themselves on their willpower, 

on their ability to make a decision and carry it through. 

This virtue, like most virtues, is ambiguity itself.

People who believe that they are strong-willed and the masters of their destiny 

can only continue to believe this by becoming specialists in self-deception. (30)

As he continues within that long paragraph I realize that I have lived in exactly that same self-deception in adulthood. I convinced myself at 10 years into my first marriage that I could do this. I could manage to withstand a spouse who refused to work for consistent income and spent every evening drunk, to raise my sons in a home where I could provide a counter-influence as a responsible hard-working adult. I managed to convince myself I had done exactly that for another 12 years, but at what cost to myself. For those 12 years I was rarely ever "happy" as a person, but I managed to survive, as did my sons. There was much chaos and some tragedy, but I don't know that our lives would have ended any better if I had left at that time and immersed us into dire poverty. If only I'd had financial security, then I could have established a single-parent household and provided a relatively secure future for my children. But I didn't have any money to fall back on and had to make the best decisions I could at the time. But yes, it did definitely require me to become a "specialist in self-deception." I had to continually convince myself this was the best decision of all alternatives. I could indeed do this... Baldwin is so very intellectual, yet so very perceptive and emotionally aware. And...he could put all that into words that resonate so deeply and clearly, even 63 years later!

As I read, I kept reminding myself that this book was first published in 1956!! Amazing! I would think Doubleday & Company took quite a risk in releasing this book at that period of time in the US. The world, especially in the US was decidedly NOT open to such sexuality! At least not in my part of the world, the US midwest. 

David describes how his life continued in much the same pattern, he would convince himself he could be heterosexual until he found himself attracted to and in bed with another male which occurred intermittently throughout his life. Even while in the army, with another soldier who was eventually court-martialed out for his sexuality. It is when Giovanni enters his life that he finally submits to a full-on relationship with another man...

The room was small, I only made out the outlines of clutter and disorder, 

there was the smell of the alcohol he burned in his stove. He locked the door behind us, 

and then for a moment, in the gloom, we simply stared at each other--

with dismay, with relief, and breathing hard. I was trembling. 

I thought, if I do not open the door at once and get away from here, I am lost. 

But I knew I could not open the door, I knew it was too late; 

soon it was too late to do anything but moan. (86)

What struck me the strongest was the immediate immersion of David into Giovanni's sub-culture of homosexuality. As if there is a separate world within society-at-large to which "these people" are relegated. And I assume that is true. One of my cousins lived in just such a world and I did somewhat understand that his sexuality plunged him into a "sub-culture," a world in which I could never be a part. And that is just so sad, in my opinion, because it automatically creates separation and that sense of social isolation--having no one in whom you can confide or even just honestly share your thoughts and feelings, let alone life experiences. He eventually turned to drugs and alcohol to escape or numb himself to the reality of his life and died young. Although his family has never, to my knowledge, honored or publicly acknowledged his death and life, I think of him each and every day, concentrating on the positive memories. That is my homage to him, and hopefully, thereby to all who are similarly marginalized by our society. 

...Giovanni had lost his job and we walked around in the evenings. Those evenings were bitter.

Giovanni knew that I was going to leave him, but he did not dare accuse me for fear of being corroborated. I did not dare to tell him. Hella was on her way back from Spain 

and my father had agreed to send me money, which I was not going to use to help Giovanni, 

who had done so much to help me. I was going to use it to escape his room. (100)

I believe Giovanni did love David, and perhaps too much. Giovanni struck me as a "clinger," someone who wants one person to provide him/her with everything necessary in their life, to be with them every second possible and have no separate life experiences--"smothering," in a word. This made Giovanni quite vulnerable, as David became all too aware. Though David realized he must leave in order to 'save himself,' as it were. Added to this was the claustrophobic atmosphere created by "the room," which Baldwin does an excellent job of describing to make the reader feel the cloistered atmosphere contained therein. 

David takes the coward's way out, just simply leaving Giovanni, with no forewarning, effectively abandoning him. (I admit I hated him for doing that to Giovanni. Though in a demented way, I could kinda understand...) In the aftermath, Giovanni becomes partner to a "sugar daddy" and eventually is convicted of killing a man and is sentenced to death. Once Hella returns to France from Spain, David tries to "find [his] way in her again, as though she were a familiar,  darken'd room in which I fumbled to find the light." Ah, what great literary talent! Referring back to "that room" but in the context of trying to re-establish a heterosexual relationship with Hella! Their first evening upon being reunited in Paris,

I held her close and kissed her, closing my eyes. 

Everything was as it had been between us, and at the same time everything was different. 

I told myself I would not think about Giovanni yet, I would not worry about him yet;

for tonight, anyway, Hella and I should be together with nothing to divide us. 

Still, I knew very well that this was not really possible: he had already divided us. 

I tried not to think of him sitting alone in that room, wondering why I stayed away so long. (160)

Ah, it would seem David's ability at self-delusion has finally self-destructed...

It is in David's last encounter with Giovanni that his inability to reconcile his homosexuality with the reality of his life expresses itself as he accuses Giovanni of being afraid to "go after a woman":

[Giovanni] was pale. 'You are the one who keeps talking about what I want. 

But I have only been talking about who I want.'

'But I'm a man, [David] cried, 'a man! What do you think can happen between us?'

'You know very well,' said Giovanni slowly, 'what can happen between us. 

It is for that reason you are leaving me...If I could make you stay, I would.' (189)

I felt so very sorry for Giovanni at this point. While I had some insight into David's decision, I still felt sympathy for Giovanni--he was in love! That is all he knew! And although David did love him, he realized, for a myriad of reasons, he was unable to commit to their relationship long-term. Always sad for one person to be totally committed and the other is unable to reciprocate those feelings... And then, David is similarly unable to commit to Hella, in that she senses his reticence in their own relationship which now exists, and she is unable to accept his distance and their lack of sincere spontaneous interaction. 

I particularly appreciated Baldwin's emphasis on Guillarme, the murdered man, being mythologized in the aftermath of his death, mainly owing to the fact that his family once held an immense fortune and well-known history of affluence. Other homosexual males living in the same area were totally shunned by society, as was he in his lifetime. Amazing what a difference 'social status' can make, isn't it?

As mentioned above, I initially thought this was a depressing read, but then realized it was simply a description of life for those who are marginalized and forced to try to reconcile their feelings in accordance with society's mores and norms, and that more often than not, this is impossible for individuals to accomplish successfully. Ah...it is just so sad...

Have you read this novel?

Have you ever wondered about it?

I would strongly recommend that you experience it for yourself. 

I found it to be informative and enlightening in a very personal way.

I could easily connect certain aspects of David's relationships to my own.

Happy reading!

--Lynn

It is the reason that is truly important...

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

This title is a bit misleading...in some ways. 

This book is so much more than just "two boys kissing." 
Not that there aren't two boys kissing...well, and more...

Perhaps most importantly is their reason for kissing...in public...with cameras and lights filming them...although one of them has not yet even "come out" to his own family...

and they aren't really a 'couple'...any more...or...maybe they will be again?

This book was named a 2014 Stonewall Honor Book 

in Children's and Young Adult Literature.

Check out the Stonewall Book Awards!

"The first and most enduring award for GLBT books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association's 

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. 

Since Isabel Miller's Patience and Sarah received the first award in 1971, 

many other books have been honored for exceptional merit 

relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience."

I'm so glad to have learned about these awards!

(This just means even more books have now been added to my TBR list!) 

And kudos to the ALA!!

I just discovered this Book Riot post written by Kelly Jensen, 
discussing and listing some LGBTQ middle-grade books. 
Her point is well taken--although we have more and more LGBTQ YA literature
there is little published thus far for "middle-grade" readers.
Although I realize there are (especially small-town rural) libraries refusing to diversify their collections to include ANY LGBTQ publications, this should be a priority, in my opinion.
With the advent of not only more widespread acceptance of, but also appreciation for diverse gender self-identifcation, we need to widen children's perspectives and consideration of possibilities to include all people...all.
If we don't work to make children aware of possibility we may well prevent them 
from ever accepting, let alone appreciating, 
those who may not identify in accordance with their own limited expectations.
And that is the opposite of increasing people's knowledge base and critical thinking skills, 
it is in effect preventing growth and development. 
There are communities which thrive on keeping everything the same as it has always been. And that is very dangerous territory, totally self-defeating, in my opinion.
How are these children to ever fit in with the real world once they reach adulthood 
and move away, as the majority do? *stepping down from my soapbox now*

Though this is the first, rest assured that it is not the last David Levithan book I will read! 

His writing is so inventive, intensely passionate, genuine, and heartfelt. 

It was as if I was listening to a really close friend reveal their inner thoughts on issues of utmost importance to them--things that arouse their passion and compassion! 

As happens to me, if I truly LOVE a book it is even more difficult for me to pare down my thoughts for a review. I am ambivalent about how much to divulge about this book, because I think it is important for the reader to discover so much of it for themselves. So I am cutting much of what I already composed. (Wait! Did I just hear potential blog readers clapping?!?) :) This narrator is one of the most unique and yet informative of all narrators I have encountered, and that is all I will say about that. 

Levithan's text is so emotionally dense and yet it flows so well. He presents many varied renditions of love--among and between family members, friends, and intimate partners. As you might imagine there are depictions of parents loving their children with unconditional positive regard as well as those who despise their children for 'who they are,' or perhaps more accurately, 'for who they are not.' :( There are brand-new 'couples' just getting to know each other and experiencing all those doubts and self-questioning thoughts as they delve into a relationship. There is a child who is so totally lost and unmoored in life as to search out anything he feels is thrilling--over-the-top experiences with little to no meaning or feeling involved. (I would attribute much of this attitude to his lack of love and acceptance within his own biological family.) I found myself with heart racing and so fearful of what might happen to him next--literally whether he would live or die.
The world, in his eyes, is flat and dull. All sensation has been leaked from it, and instead its energy is running through the busy corridors of his mind, making angry, frustrated noise. He is sitting on his bed, and he is wrestling within himself, and ultimately the only thing he can think to do is go on the Internet, because life there is just as flat as real life, without the expectations of real life. (5)
My heart ached for this child as I read this passage. 

  Cooper jolts awake, his face pressing into the keyboard, creating an unsayable word. His contact lenses feel like dry wafers on his eyes. His breath tastes like morning worms. (25)
Such wonderfully realistic description! Although his first interaction that morning is not pleasant and leads to, well...more unpleasantness.

First time meeting:
He spots Avery's [pink] hair first, then Avery. And Avery looks up at just that moment and sees the blue-haired boy glancing his way...
  Things are not magical because they've been conjured for us by some outside force. They are magical because we create them, and then deem them so. Ryan and Avery will say the first moment they spoke, the first moment they danced, was magical. But they were the ones--no one else, nothing else--who gave it the magic. We know. We were there. Ryan opened himself to it. Avery opened himself to it. And the act of opening was all they needed. That is the magic. (9)
And that is the 'magical' start to any relationship, no matter how it may turn out in the future, it is that magic of opening up to another person that starts it all! However, Avery worries about Ryan's reaction if/when he knows that Avery 
was born a boy that the rest of the world saw as a girl...His mother thought that maybe she'd always known, which was why she'd chosen the name Avery--her father's name, which was going to be given to the baby whether it was a boy or a girl. With his parents' help and blessing, if not always comprehension, Avery charted a new life, was driven many miles...to get the hormones that would set his body in the right direction. And it's worked. (12)
And Ryan is in disbelief that he has "found someone here in the bowels of the Kindling community center." He's worried about time...
Should he stop and talk to this boy more, before the DJ plays the last song and the lights come back on? Or should they stay like this, paired by the music, cocooned in a song? 
...time can be buoyed by wordlessness, but it needs to be anchored in words. (13)
Oh, doesn't that take you back to the first meeting with someone in whom you were interested, romantically? Ah, it sure does for me...all that worry and hesitation... And meanwhile the DJ plays a song that breaks up the dancers as they leave the floor he holds his phone in the air so the boy he loves in Texas can hear this song dedicated to him. Awww...that is just so sweet! This, at the same time that 
Ryan and Avery can feel their words working with each other, can feel the simple joy of falling into the same rhythm, thinking companionable thoughts. (15) 
This reminds me much of the night Mr. G and I met! We talked for 5+ hours! Rarely do you meet such a soulmate and I have been fortunate enough to meet two of them in this lifetime, my current partner/spouse and my BFF!

Avery and Ryan talk the very next morning.
  They begin to make plans, and a plan. Plans are the things you are going to do at a precise time, while a plan is the more general idea of all the things you might do together. Plans are the coordinates; a plan is the entire map. Plans are the things you can discuss in that first nervous phone call. A plan is the thing that goes unsaid, but puts the hope in your voice nonetheless. There is nothing so heartening as a chance. (29-30)
I swear I don't believe I have ever read a better description of the beginning of a relationship! Spot on! 
[Avery] doesn't know yet that doubt lingers around anticipation like bees hover around flowers. The trick is to not let the doubt intimidate you into walking away. Doubt is an acceptable risk for happiness. (44)
True! No matter how it turns out in the end, without risk there is no happiness! 

  In the middle of the night, Harry's mother opens his door, checks that he's safely asleep. Then she heads to the den and does the same for Craig, smiling to see him wrapped in the afghan. She knows they have a big day tomorrow, and she is worried for them. But she will only show he worry when they are asleep. Mostly she is proud. Pride is allowed to have an element of worry, especially when you are a mother. 
  Harry's mother tucks him in for a second time. She kisses him lightly on the forehead, then tiptoes from the room. (20) 
Oh, so true! You don't want to worry. You try NOT to worry...and I always try to twist the wording in my mind to "I want you to be happy, healthy, and "successful" in whatever way you define that for yourself...note: It does not have to fit my definition of success.
  Waking is hard, and waking is glorious. We watch as you stir, then as you stumble out of your beds. We know that gratitude is the last thing on your mind. But you should be grateful. 
  You've made it to another day. (22)
And what a day this one is for Craig and Harry! Full of kissing! 
Once they start kissing, they will have to keep kissing for at least thirty-two hours, twelve minutes, and ten seconds. That is one second longer than the current world record for the longest-recorded kiss.
  The reason they are all here is to break that record.
  And the reason they want to break that record started with something that happened to Tariq. (33) 

  He will not let it stop him from going into the city, from dancing. But still, the fear remains...And there in the back of his mind...are the most insidious questions of all:
  How did they spot me? How did they know?
  What did I do wrong?
  People like to say being gay isn't like skin color, isn't anything physical. They tell us we always have the option of hiding. 
  But if that's true, why do they always find us? (36)
Freedom isn't just about voting and marrying and kissing on the street, although all of these things are important. Freedom is also about what you will allow yourself to do....this was...the thing that Tariq looks forward to. This liberation. (4) 
Several present gag gifts to Craig and Harry at the 'kissing site' on the high school lawn, including Harry's parents. Tariq's is the last, after he has made certain all the cameras, lights, batteries, etc., are amassed, arranged and working properly. This even will be streamed live over the internet to ensure authenticity and at one point there are nearly a half million people watching!
With a grin, Tariq lifts out a bust of Walt Whitman to preside over the event. Then, to mark the occasion, Tariq recites one of Whitman's poems:
  We two boys together clinging, 
  One the other never leaving, 
  Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making, 
  Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
  Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving,
  No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving, threatening,
  Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on the turf or the sea, 
    beach-dancing,
  Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness chasing,
  Fulfilling our foray. 

  Everyone applauds. (42)

The rules for this record-setting are formidable. No bathroom breaks. No actual eating. Their lips must be touching every single second of the 115,930 seconds they must continue. No sitting down. Nothing but standing and kissing. And yet...so much more! And...do they succeed? What of Craig's family? Surely they knew. They sure do now, if they didn't before!

So this is definitely one of my absolute favorite reads for 2016! Make that for always!

If you haven't read it, please consider. It is a quick read.

Even if you feel a bit uncertain about "two boys kissing" 

you should do yourself a favor and just read it. 

I can't imagine being disappointed.
I agree with those who feel this book is in much the same category as 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

Kinda a Creepy Title...but an unexpectedly poignant read!

Tell The Wolves I'm Home 

by Carol Rifka Brunt

Image courtesy of Carol Rifka Brunt's website

Admittedly, this title threw me a bit the first time I saw it... Immediately, I was groaning to myself and imagining some urban setting with werewolves, zombies, or whatever, though when I gave it some thought, several authors who recommended it typically don't read such urban fantasies. I began investigating in earnest and learned it was not that type of book at all! Then one of our book club members suggested we read it...and here we are today! I literally read this book in one day, that is how enthralling I found it to be. Brunt's writing flowed serenely along, much like the stream in the woods behind the school. This book resonated with me on so many levels. I found similarities to Tartt's The Goldfinch in the ultimate importance of a work of art to other people, and Benjamin's Alice I Have Been in the possibly inappropriate sexual thoughts about or relationship with an older person.

As you might realize by now, if you have read many of my reviews here or on Goodreads, I typically read for characterization first--make me believe in these characters, please! :) Brunt delivers exactly that. I am quite satisfied when I complete a novel and feel as if I have made "friends" with the characters and would LOVE to know what happens to them next. However, I always realize there is never a "stopping point" where I would feel as if I know everything about them. I am amazed at the level of writing contained within this novel, considering it is her debut! Wow...I will anxiously await future publications, of which I hope there will be many. 

Brunt states in the Question/Answer section at the back of my paperback edition that she did not initially consider this to be much of a "coming-of-age" novel, but I believe it definitely is, and I'm glad she did further editing/writing to better define this theme. June is not perhaps "typical" among her adolescent peers, and yet, who really is? (I don't believe there is a "normal" when discussing human nature/behaviors!) We are each individuals and even as children, especially adolescents, each of us experiences our own pressures and challenges, though we all may believe virtually every other child has it much better/easier then we do! In effect, I felt this book fully demonstrated the "anti-bullying" concept of acceptance and empathy toward others, regardless of our impressions or preconceived notions. The reader feels June's shyness and lack of social skills to mix and mingle and make friends, though her sister, Greta, is the exact opposite--gregarious, talented, and popular amongst her peers. Being an only child perhaps limits my credibility in this area, but for me, Brunt's depiction of this sibling relationship seemed accurate and I thoroughly resonated with both June and Greta. Our other book club members with siblings agreed this relationship was portrayed accurately. 

June is literally trying to define herself. (Aren't we all? LOL) This proves to be a bit more difficult for her than it appears to be for Greta, though we later learn that Greta has her own demons to conquer. And this is, in my opinion, one of the main themes in this book, accept others with empathy and sympathy--do not judge. As we learn of Finn and Danni's history, we see how devastating and perpetual the consequences can be when relationships are damaged by hurt, judgment, and most importantly, holding grudges; being unable to forgive and accept the choices others make. I believe Finn's supposed "abandonment" was simply his only option for dealing with his sexual identity in the '60's and '70's, especially given that his father was a strict military man, however, that one decision held repercussions for the future beyond anyone's imaginings at the time... And this is true, we can never know the long-term results of the seemingly inconsequential decisions any of us makes on any given day. 

While I loved this book, reactions among our book club members was mixed. Three members felt it definitely required reading the first third or so before it began to flow for them, but once it did, two of them liked it and the third rated it "so-so." The fourth person felt it was a really good book. The good news? No one "hated" it! :) The themes contained herein made excellent fodder for discussion. There were mixed reactions to the idea that June's attraction to Finn was possibly inappropriate; most felt it was rather typical of an adolescent who was just beginning to think such thoughts to initially experiment with them toward the people with whom they have the closest relationships. I would argue that society then teaches us to stifle what may be considered inappropriate according to social norms, forcing us to focus such thoughts in "socially acceptable" ways. Fortunately, even very recently, attitudes appear to be changing overall among the US populace regarding acceptance of "non-heterosexuality" and those who identify as other than "straight." 

A consideration I found to be interesting dealt with the time of publication. If this had been released in 2012 rather than 2014, might readers' reactions perhaps be quite different, given some of the themes (homosexuality, AIDS, etc.) depicted? We all felt many more readers would likely not be as accepting just two years ago as they might be now, especially toward a "gay" couple. And the painting of Greta and June, we wished it had been left in its altered state, thereby preserving the further "edits." The teapot and the wolf, from the title and the cover image...so meaningful!

My favorite character was Finn. I believe he was the most loving and caring character of them all--leaving notes for both June and Toby to take care of each other, how sweet! And the basement "room" created as Toby's hideout when June visited. I loved Finn's love for others. 

Have you read this one yet? I think you will not be disappointed if you do... I loved it! I believe I have another favorite author! 'Cause, I need more favorites!!