I am fond of memoirs, especially those that show how someone has overcome challenges to become a better person or to gain success in a career. I really liked this memoir. First of all, the writing is top notch; there’s not a word out of place. Right from the start, the story draws you in. I like the way Broome frames the book with a modern day bus ride that he took during which he observes a young father interacting with his toddler son on a bus. As Broome watches the father throughout the long bus ride, each phase of the ride stimulates a memory from Broome’s childhood.
This book covers Broome’s life from childhood through adulthood, growing up in rural Ohio. He writes about his parents’ loveless marriage and the impact of his father’s losing his job when the steel mills closed. Since childhood, Broome was forced to pretend to be something he was not, hiding the fact that he is gay even from himself. He leaves first chance he gets to go to college, only to find himself surrounded by bigots. He goes further, to Pittsburgh, where he finally begins to find people that he can relate to, and for many years he loses himself to casual relationships, hard drugs, and alcohol. Throughout the book, Broome keeps taking us back to his childhood, and his relationship with his parents. He reflects on how several women, including his mother, have had a significant impact on his life, serving as a savior at critical or dangerous moments. He pulls no punches as he discusses the damage his father caused, not only to him, but the whole family.
While Broome tells us about sad, scary, and hurtful experiences, this book is ultimately hopeful, as Broome begins to address his addictions, and follows in the footsteps of his idol, James Baldwin, by taking a sojourn in Europe. This book is similar in theme to How we fight for our lives, by Saeed Jones, which I also liked.
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