Companions Nich’ooni by Jed A.
Bryan is a compelling story of love, devotion, and self-preservation. The
central characters are paired together by a traditional duty to their church. This pairing
has little to do with compatibility and everything to do with whom and to where
the Mormon Church chooses. They are interested in membership not relationships.
Set in 1968, a time when very few
were brave enough to come out to their own families that they were gay, these Elders
were thrust together to deal with their own fallibilities. Jed brings these
characters to life. I could feel crisp clean mountain air stinging my lungs. I
felt the dirt beneath my feet. The vivid details will put you deep within
Navajo country. I could sense the
contempt these boys felt when their feelings betrayed their upbringing. Jed uses
the Navajo language to punctuate the cultural differences between Geoffrey and
Johnny.
Their tumultuous beginning melted
into a caring, loving relationship. Geoffrey’s family never comes to grips with
his outing, nor the apparent flamboyancy of his uncle Ho. Their untimely outing
to the church seemed to spark their intent to show the world that they were out
and quite content about it. Unfortunately,
the atmosphere in that day and age didn’t lend itself to diversity and
tolerance. As with many in the LGBT community today, they were forced to flee
for their own safety. Fortunately uncle Ho understood their needs and took them
in.
This story was based on true events
in the author’s life. I applaud Jed’s tenacity and his attention to details. I
encourage you to curl up to your wood burning stove amid your Hogan and read
this book. And finally, all of us can appreciate the need for our very own
uncle Ho.
No comments:
Post a Comment