Teaser Tuesdays: In the Wake of Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

"He should crack his little boy's neck as gently as possible. It would be like saving two lives."
~Page 1

Title: in the wake of the boatman
Author: Jonathon Scott Fuqua
ISBN: 978-1890862428
Publisher: Bancroft Press/2008
Pages: 320

Right from his birth, Puttnum Douglas Steward, is considered no good by his father. He is ignored and faces antagonism at every step. He always seeks attention ut his father has closed his mind and thinks Puttnam is non-existent for him. The boy struggles to prove himself to his father but for no avail. Then he gets into University of Virginia on an ROTC scholarship. His life changes. There he has a fling with his cadet commandent. He also experiments with cross dressing and finds that it is what he is.

In this novel, Putt has a lot of dilemmas: father/son conflict, homosexuality, transsexuality, war, alcoholism, death, loneliness, friendship, and romantic anguish. This novel wholly embolds its ambitious scope, including the ambiguity and loose ends that are part of any complex personalty. Putt is a complicated yet so very real protagonist with enough emotional courage to bind together the deeply conflicting issues depicted in the novel.

In the Wake of the Boatman is well written, filled with poetic prose. The novel contains a nuanced and worthy portrait of a life struggling towards fulfillment. Putt pulls off the book all by himself.