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A review by book_mark_shelf
Turtle Bay by John Patrick
5.0
This fantastic piece of writing is set in New York after WW2 when small pox erupted the states and that the early stages of McCathyism/ The Red Scare. This is the second book of ‘The Tides of Change’ by John Patrick and was a fantastic continuation from ‘Dublin Bay.’
It tells the tale of Hans, who we were originally introduced to in Dublin bay. He know manages a boarding house for specific men and finds that this is a way to give back to strangers, after he himself were saved by strangers. There is also Mason, an FBI agent who is set on a path of self-discovery, while being charged by government to investigate communism activists and sympathisers.
I must say, I really enjoyed this novel and it has opened my eyes to the world at that time. The fact that homosexuals of that time had to hide from society and made me look at how far the world as come in acceptance and diversity – but still a bit to go yet! Having to rely on code words to avoid any sort of danger from homophobia that is still used today – ‘Are you a friend of Dorothy’s?’
When reading this, I was very fond of the main characters, especially Hans and how far his has come from Dublin Bay. He shows a very strong sense of bravery, patience and understanding. From enjoying his time as Ada by helping Mason discover himself and his feelings.
I love the fact John Patrick kept the main characters of Dublin Bay in this novel, showing a HAE for them and how they have all grown together as a family. Also with the introduction of new characters, like Cordero and Mannix.
I feel that to enjoy the full potential of this book, you need to read Dublin Bay first to know the backstory and fully appreciate that full story of Turtle Bay. But it is worth stating that it can be read as a standalone.
I have given this a worthy 5 stars and think that it would be enjoyed by many readers. Especially one with a keen interest in historical romance theme.
(I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.)
It tells the tale of Hans, who we were originally introduced to in Dublin bay. He know manages a boarding house for specific men and finds that this is a way to give back to strangers, after he himself were saved by strangers. There is also Mason, an FBI agent who is set on a path of self-discovery, while being charged by government to investigate communism activists and sympathisers.
I must say, I really enjoyed this novel and it has opened my eyes to the world at that time. The fact that homosexuals of that time had to hide from society and made me look at how far the world as come in acceptance and diversity – but still a bit to go yet! Having to rely on code words to avoid any sort of danger from homophobia that is still used today – ‘Are you a friend of Dorothy’s?’
When reading this, I was very fond of the main characters, especially Hans and how far his has come from Dublin Bay. He shows a very strong sense of bravery, patience and understanding. From enjoying his time as Ada by helping Mason discover himself and his feelings.
I love the fact John Patrick kept the main characters of Dublin Bay in this novel, showing a HAE for them and how they have all grown together as a family. Also with the introduction of new characters, like Cordero and Mannix.
I feel that to enjoy the full potential of this book, you need to read Dublin Bay first to know the backstory and fully appreciate that full story of Turtle Bay. But it is worth stating that it can be read as a standalone.
I have given this a worthy 5 stars and think that it would be enjoyed by many readers. Especially one with a keen interest in historical romance theme.
(I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.)