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A review by kaylielongley
No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves (Queer History Project) by Lee Wind
4.0
This is perhaps the most important book I've read all year. History has too often been written by rich, white, cis males, and that results in a one-sided narrative. This incredibly well researched compilation offers additional stories and voices, all while being extremely accessible, bolding to highlight facts or quotes, using arrows to call out definitions or context, and providing additional resources and books at the end.
Author Wind used primary sources and context as evidence for queerness within well known and lesser-known figures of history. Some I knew, such as Eleanor Roosevelt's letters to beloved journalist "Hick." I did not know that Abe Lincoln shared a bed with Joshua, later writing private letters to him and public letters to his wife. Some stories are incredibly tragic, erased with time, such as Sappho's burned poetry and Bill Shakes' use of initials. After reading a chapter on the Lieutenant Nun, I'm going to read their autobiography! Their (mid)adventures across countries and genders sound captivating.
While censorship still affects men who love men, women who love women, and people living outside gender boundaries, this book, clearly intended for YA but helpful for any reader, gives me hope for a more honest history and a shared, safe future. Because love is love is love is love.
Author Wind used primary sources and context as evidence for queerness within well known and lesser-known figures of history. Some I knew, such as Eleanor Roosevelt's letters to beloved journalist "Hick." I did not know that Abe Lincoln shared a bed with Joshua, later writing private letters to him and public letters to his wife. Some stories are incredibly tragic, erased with time, such as Sappho's burned poetry and Bill Shakes' use of initials. After reading a chapter on the Lieutenant Nun, I'm going to read their autobiography! Their (mid)adventures across countries and genders sound captivating.
While censorship still affects men who love men, women who love women, and people living outside gender boundaries, this book, clearly intended for YA but helpful for any reader, gives me hope for a more honest history and a shared, safe future. Because love is love is love is love.