A Perfect Peace by Glynn Compton Harper
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A Time Before Me by Michael Holloway Perronne
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Perfect PeaceBy Glynn Compton Harper Booksurge Publishing ISBN: 1-55352-111-0 Paper, 342 page, $15.99 A Perfect Peace is the story of war time, the story of two soldiers who find each other during WWII when they're stationed in England, awaiting war action in France. Both of the soldiers are American, though one was born in England. Although Harper was an ensign in the US Navy in the 1960s, he writes convincingly of life in the US Army in the 1940s, European theater. Although the impending battles with the Germans is never far from the consciousness of the soldiers, this is not a war story so much as an incredible journey of self-discovery for southerner Bobby Joe Keyes, who was orphaned at an early age and raised by rather cold and unloving relatives. Bob, as he prefers to be called, is tentative and uncommunicative, yet longs for the love of another man. He meets Tony and becomes fast friends, while at the same time wanting something more. Because of the times, neither Bob nor Tony feel comfortable making the important first step toward a deeper relationship—until they go on leave in London. But a German air-raid injures Tony and leaves him in hospital while Bob must return to his company, eventually to face action against the Germans in France. With intricacy and a seamless series of accidents, both fortunate and frustrating, Bob manages to stay aware of Tony's whereabouts and even manages to speak with him once by phone. And as he moves through the motions of war, avoiding death at every turn, he holds out the hope of eventually reuniting with Tony. And in another series of twists and turns in the plot, both men learn certain truths. Unfortunately, they are not the same ones. Bob learns that a committed and satisfying love of another man is what he must have, while from a friend in London, Tony learns that "They'll let you live if you're weak, and wash their filthy hair, be a clever court fool. But if you touch or fight back, they'll kill you. Bob would be better off if—" He looked quickly at Tony… "Maybe you're right," Tony said…"It would save him (Bob) from the pain. From being disillusioned…" meaning that Tony realizes that their love and future together is impossible and so sets out to get over his own homosexuality. We don't see this process, other than we know that Tony eventually convalesces at a monastery and subsumes himself with the "hope" that religion offers him as a way out of his love for Bob. There is, of course much more to the plot but to say much more about it will rob the potential reader of the surprise, dismay, and anticipation that turning the page will have. Harper's strength is in developing the inner character's sense of self, revealing the depth of his characters through their words and interior dialog, as much as through what they do. One knows Bob Keyes, knows what his vulnerabilities are and even what he would do in a given situation. And yet, without seeming contrived, Fate intervenes to throw wrenches and grenades into Bob's plans in the form of a wealthy upper-class woman and a fellow soldier, each contriving in their own ways to prevent Bob from reaching his goals. Still, even the "villains" are drawn with sensitivity and authority by this gifted writer. For all that, I would give A Perfect Peace five stars, but for the many careless typos that made it into the finished product, I have to reduce that number by at least one. A new edition, however, is in the works. —Ronald L. Donaghe,
Las Cruces, NM March 2005
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Time Before Meby Michael Holloway Perronne iUniverse, 2004 ISBN: 0-595-33756-2 Paper, 182 pages, $13.95 Michael Perronne is a new voice in what might be considered the tradition of Southern male gay writers, with a setting as deep in the south as you can get without falling into the gulf. Mason lives in a small Mississippi town, and when he graduates from high school he is expected to follow his father into the same dead-end job. But Mason's best friend Billy wants nothing of the small town and leaves on a bus for New York City the night of his graduation, leaving much more than the small town behind. He leaves Mason, just when Mason thinks that their friendship is about to take a different turn into a love life. Without Billy, Mason is stuck thinking he will have to at least go to the community college after high school, but never quite commits to it, either. He is lost. And when his Aunt Savannah gives him a summer job in New Orleans at her nightclub, he jumps at the chance, loves it so much, he defies his parents and stays on in New Orleans. Still pining for Billy, Mason begins to explore the gay scene in New Orleans, hangs out with the beautiful, inscrutible Joey. And eventually falls for the 19 year old. But life is never simple in the South, and especially for a young gay man. Mason's relationship with his father is distant, his relationship with his mother is strained, his sister has just blown her chances at a glamorous life by getting pregnant and having to move in with her and Mason's parents and her new husband. And to make life even more complicated, Billy shows up in New Orleans with his own boy friend—a much older man. Mason is torn between his old desires for Billy and his new and growing love for Joey. In fact, the story begins at the end, and Perronne takes the reader back to how it all began, so we already know that at the end of the story Mason is in crises: "I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach when I realized that I was too late, and that my own stupidity had gotten me to this point." And what "point" is this? One has to read the book to find out, and also to see if Mason wins or loses in his final desperate move for happiness. As with the other book I reviewed, I also give this one five stars for the story, the character development, and the obvious writing ability. But I have to reduce this by half a star because of the finished product...too many typos that seem to increase toward the end of the book. Please read my article on page 3 about editing. —Ronald L. Donaghe,
Las Cruces, NM March 2005
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