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A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
14th April 2020

TITLE: HOMOAMERICAN, The Secret Society
AUTHOR: Michael Dane

Star Rating: 5

‘A fascinating and always insightful look at being gay and growing up a homophobic world. Excellent!’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

REVIEW
Today, we seem to be living in a world of distrust, where people pick a side and never seem to listen to what the other side has to say. It is a world of wariness, of ‘America First’, of everything being fake news if it in any way disagrees with our own perception of the world. This book is, in many ways, the opposite of that, bringing light to the dark. And it is very welcome on my bookshelf.
In this thought-provoking autobiography, the author (Michael) throws the reader into a homophobic world in an attempt to help them to understand what it’s like to be gay (openly or not). Written with panache, even flamboyance, it is well-balanced in terms of being informative but, also, in terms of being heartbreakingly personal.
I enjoyed many aspects of this book. Firstly, the storytelling is strong. And that’s so important. There’s nothing more annoying than an interesting book that’s been badly written. Secondly, I very much enjoyed getting to know so many colourful and interesting characters. The author is very insightful when describing them and his ability ‘bring them to life’ is outstanding. Thirdly, and most importantly – for me anyway - I love the honesty. It’s there on every page; in every sentence. And that’s why it’s such a gripping read.
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. Who to? Well, anybody studying recent LGBTQ history will find this of interest. Also, anybody who simply wants to ‘try’ to understand what it feels like to be excluded from a community, will find this fascinating.
Enjoy!
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk