Best Gay Contemporary General Fiction : The Heart’s History by Lewis DeSimone

There are some novels you know they will haunt you, but nevertheless, you know you have to read it. This story is set between 2002 and 2007, the apex of the AIDS plague was in 1992-1994, so 10 years later, you don’t expect to read this story, AIDS is a “manageable” illness, is it right? Wrong! It’s still an horrible disease, that is stealing the voices of many wonderful men, like Edward. And like in a metaphor, since Edward’s voice was stolen, he lives again in the memories of his circle of friends, Bill, Kyle, Harlan. And Robert. But Robert was Edward’s lover, and Edward liked his life tidy and well-layout, and so Robert and his friends didn’t mix, it’s with a little ache in the heart that you read like Robert, mourning lover, ask to Bill, “What was he (Edward) like?”, cause, while Robert was Edward’s lover for the last 5 years of his life, the others, the friends, knew him for twenty years, they were his family, and in a way, it was that family that had to accept Robert in their lives, as Edward’s companion, but really never like one of them.

Through the memories of Edward, the reader will now also the lives of these men, their childhood memories, how they changed and readapted to the changes of the world around them, like an osmosis, opening, inglobing, and making them the changing. And maybe in the end, maybe some of them will be able to finally accept Robert among them, when the reason for that acceptance, Edward, is gone, maybe that will be the time to realize that Robert is now one of the family.

There were moments when I was hoping for the impossible, for the turn of the events allowing Robert and Edward to have an happily ever after, but it was a feeble hope, cause I know that those 5 years were the only time they had together, and Robert had to enjoy every minute of it, and building through the memories of Edward’s friends, his own memories to last for the remaining of his life.

Amazon: The Heart's History
Amazon Kindle: The Heart's History
Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (May 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213424
ISBN-13: 978-1590213421



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