TEST
A cursory glimpse at life on the streets for two formerly successful men illustrates both the steady eroding of pride and the human spirit as well as the importance of friendship – especially when one is down and out. What it doesn’t show is the array of avenues open to former convicts and street people who are seeking help.
When inside trader Judah Jackson gets out of prison with a set of clothes and three hundred dollars cash, he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to get a job and remake himself in a short period of time. He’s contemptuous of homeless Toby Simonsen who hits him up for money, and Judah rebuffs the man.
However, after weeks of being turned away by former friends and being attacked by a gang, Judah is grateful to see Toby who steps in and saves him. Toby brings Judah to a soup kitchen and shelter run by a kindly priest, Fr. Bill. As Toby teaches Judah the tricks of living on the street and he starts to acclimate himself, they become lovers.
Then Toby, who once was the manager of a small upscale hotel, gets a job as manager of a fashionable bed and breakfast, and they move into the place. But since he has nothing to do during the day while Toby is working, Judah finds his self-respect declining and his dependence on Toby stifling.
Coming to terms with homelessness, loss of identity, and the necessity of reinventing themselves are imperative for all who find themselves out of work during difficult economic times. This novella believably outlines the eroding of self, but doesn’t give these two intelligent men enough credit for discovering the many programs available to them.
Toby, in particular, has quite a bit going for him since he lost his job because the hotel he was managing went belly up. That he’s reduced to asking people on the street for work is a little unbelievable considering the contacts that Fr. Bill has. True, Toby probably won’t be able to find a comparable job right away, but he has the education and initiative to present himself well to any contact Fr. Bill hooks him up with.
Judah, on the other hand, is more problematic since he’s been in prison for insider trading. Also, Judah as a self-made man doesn’t have any education past high school to qualify him for even an entry level job, but has relied on his charisma to get ahead in the world. If Fr. Bill wants to help him, the kind-hearted priest is going to have to persuade a contact that Judah, whom he doesn’t know well, is a capable guy. Without Fr. Bill and Judah establishing a positive relationship, this isn’t likely. And Judah’s defeatist attitude won’t help his cause.
Of the two, Toby is the more likeable and the one readers will root for. That he takes on Judah’s street education despite Judah’s harshly putting him down when they first meet is the act of a forgiving saint. But then throughout the story, Toby is the epitome of sainthood.
Unfortunately, Judah isn’t quite as likeable and must undergo leavening on the street before he becomes compassionate enough for readers to tolerate him. Making him so self-pitying from the beginning doesn’t help, and his transformation is just iffy enough that readers might wonder if he has in fact learned any lessons about life at all.
As a novella, however, the story holds together and gives a glimpse of life on the street, and Toby and Judah’s friendship and eventually love seem plausible. What the story needs, however, is more room to explore the nuances of each man’s situation and ponder the differences between their situations instead of lumping them in a common heap of homeless on the streets.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Queer Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 09/01/14
Publication Date: 2013/11
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.