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review by Bob LindFinding Peace by Andrew Barriger
Bob Lind is a 53 year old openly-gay professional, who lives in Phoenix, AZ, with one spoiled cat, a former stray. He has written for some professional publications, has volunteered for several local community organizations, and is an avid reader, mostly of gay fiction.
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Finding Peace is Barriger's second novel, and sequel to last year's Finding Faith. It picks up two years after the first novel, which detailed the rocky courtship of Taylor (big city attorney who relocated to this small town following the end of a longtime relationship) and Tom (local boy who works as a baker while studying to become a high school teacher). When we rejoin the couple and their friends, Taylor's local law partnership is starting to florish, while Tom still works part time at the bakery while teaching school. The couple take a generous offer to buy the bakery from the current owner, and advertise for help to minimize their time needed in the business. This brings into their lives an 18 year old gay high school student, Wayne, who came from a physically abusive home, with Tom and Taylor taking him in their homes as surrogate guardians/role models. This comes right before a whirlwind Thanksgiving holiday, not just the busiest time of the year for the bakery, but also the planned meeting of both Tom's and Taylor's families for the first time. The presence of Taylor's married brother at the holiday awakens a regret on his part that our laws do not recognize same-sex marriages, leaving it to each couple to convince their families and others of the legitimacy of their relationship. Taylor's frustration is not so much on the legal protections marriage offers (which, to some extent, can be duplicated through legal documentation, wills, etc.) but something as simple as terminology, as he refers to "my Tom" in lieu of terms such as "partner" or "lover" which seem to trivialize the relationship. The couple consider a "marriage" ceremony for the benefit of their families and friends, as well as the possibility of starting a family, an event that later becomes an unexpected reality. All of their friends from the first novel are back, and Barriger's rich characterizations are the best part of the book. I personally am a sucker for "inclusive" novels that show gay and straight characters interacting in ideal but realistic situations, and this novel scores considerable extra points with me on perfecting that concept; it makes you ready to pack up and go househunting in this small town! While it would be preferabke to have read Barriger's first novel, "Finding Faith", first, enough background information is given to make that not essential to enjoyment of this sequel. I rate "Finding Peace" a magnificent 5 out of 5 stars, and wait expectantly for his announced third novel. |
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