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The beloved author of “Don't Cry for Me” and “Perfect Peace” returns with a poignant, emotionally exuberant novel about a young queer Black man finding his voice in 1980s Chicago, a novel of family, forgiveness and perseverance, for fans of The Great Believers and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.
Isaac is at a crossroads in his young life. Growing up in Missouri, the son of a caustic, hard-driving father, he was conditioned to suppress his artistic pursuits and physical desires, notions that didn't align with a traditional view of masculinity. But now, in late '80s Chicago, Isaac has finally carved out a life of his own. He is sensitive and tenderhearted and has built up the courage to seek out a community. Yet just as he begins to embrace who he is, two social catalysts, the AIDS crisis and Rodney King's attack, collectively extinguish his hard-earned joy.
At a therapist's encouragement, Isaac begins to write down his story. In the process, he taps into a creative energy that will send him on a journey back to his family, his ancestral home in Arkansas and the inherited trauma of the nation's dark past. But a surprise discovery will either unlock the truths he's seeking or threaten to derail the life he's fought so hard to claim.
Poignant, sweeping and luminously told, “Isaac's Song” is a return to the beloved characters of “Don't Cry for Me” and a high-water mark in the career of an award-winning author.
Isaac is at a crossroads in his young life. Growing up in Missouri, the son of a caustic, hard-driving father, he was conditioned to suppress his artistic pursuits and physical desires, notions that didn't align with a traditional view of masculinity. But now, in late '80s Chicago, Isaac has finally carved out a life of his own. He is sensitive and tenderhearted and has built up the courage to seek out a community. Yet just as he begins to embrace who he is, two social catalysts, the AIDS crisis and Rodney King's attack, collectively extinguish his hard-earned joy.
At a therapist's encouragement, Isaac begins to write down his story. In the process, he taps into a creative energy that will send him on a journey back to his family, his ancestral home in Arkansas and the inherited trauma of the nation's dark past. But a surprise discovery will either unlock the truths he's seeking or threaten to derail the life he's fought so hard to claim.
Poignant, sweeping and luminously told, “Isaac's Song” is a return to the beloved characters of “Don't Cry for Me” and a high-water mark in the career of an award-winning author.