This is a must to read. I have read it many times and bought it to share with others. Having not been raised Catholic but had friends who did I was always curious and felt that Priests were put on a pedestal but in time learned they are human. This would be a great movie.
Wow! So much more than I expected from book 3. I had a hard time putting this one down. This story has everything, and it’s about a monk! Entertaining, suspenseful, heartfelt, and intelligent including a difficult and disturbing subject matter. Well done. I again look forward to the next book in this series!
Sycamore Boy is such an emotional, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful coming-of-age story. H. Les Brown takes Tony through first love, devastating loss, survival, chosen family, and the complicated process of figuring out who you are when the life you knew is ripped away from you. I really connected with the queer coming-of-age aspect of this story. Tony’s relationship with Jake felt tender and electric, but the danger surrounding them made their love even more heartbreaking. I also appreciated how the story expands beyond that first love and becomes something much bigger—a story about survival, identity, trauma, resilience, and finding your…
In this religious fiction sequel, a gay teen tries to navigate faith, tumultuous family secrets, and first love. Fifteen-year-old Randy Carter lives in Las Vegas and loves skateboarding barefoot, spending time with his best friend, Keisha, and being an acolyte to his caring priest and mentor, Father Sean. In many ways, Randy would seem to be the typical, self-proclaimed “skater boy,” but two things set him apart: He hopes to one day become a priest, and he is gay. Just as Father Sean is helping Randy to understand how his religion and his sexuality do not have to be contradictions,…
Randy, the acolyte, is bright, earnest, honest, talented, and very naive. With a deep sense of vocation to the priesthood, he learns that being gay is just one of many challenges to be met. Bullies, teen suicide, betrayal, family dysfunction, and having to fend for himself bring out his sterling qualities and his shadows as well. But nothing tests him quite so sharply as learning the truth about Michael, his first deep love. This coming-of-age story is Brown at his finest.
Compelling Drama with Depth Compelling Drama with Depth– This book delves into the complexities of morality, redemption, and the human condition with gripping intensity. Through Bishop Sean Foley’s turbulent journey, readers are drawn into a world of intrigue, heartache, and ultimately, resilience. With its authentic portrayal of flawed characters and ethical dilemmas, it leaves a lasting impact that prompts reflection and empathy.
That line in your blurb about Bishop Sean Foley facing an accuser who was “judge, jury, and executioner” made me stop mid-scroll like, “Alright, who brought courtroom thunder into the Vatican?” The tension between Foley and Cardinal Nwadike reads like someone took faith, politics, secrets, and emotional landmines, mixed them together, and said, “Good luck, reader.” I could practically hear the walls of Rome whispering.