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A review by bgoodbookclub
After Francesco by Brian Malloy
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is devastatingly beautiful. Told from the perspective of Kevin, a gay man living in NYC, it details the pain and impending doom that the LGBTQIA+ community felt in the 1980s regarding AIDS.
This book deals a lot with grief, as the main plot line is Kevin trying to navigate life after his partner Francesco aka Frankie has passed. There are a lot of difficult topics covered, as Kevin really struggles after Frankie dies. He describes his life pre-AIDS epidemic, as a caregiver, and also trying to recover with his family back in Minnesota.
This book was a very timely read as I picked it up during Pride Month. Although this is a hard one, I learned a lot. It is so important to remember that this was not long ago, and many survivors are still living with the guilt of surviving when their friends didn't (see author's note).
Thank you to Goodreads and Kensington Books for a copy of this book via a giveaway!
This book deals a lot with grief, as the main plot line is Kevin trying to navigate life after his partner Francesco aka Frankie has passed. There are a lot of difficult topics covered, as Kevin really struggles after Frankie dies. He describes his life pre-AIDS epidemic, as a caregiver, and also trying to recover with his family back in Minnesota.
This book was a very timely read as I picked it up during Pride Month. Although this is a hard one, I learned a lot. It is so important to remember that this was not long ago, and many survivors are still living with the guilt of surviving when their friends didn't (see author's note).
Thank you to Goodreads and Kensington Books for a copy of this book via a giveaway!
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, and Police brutality