Ah the dilemma, a highly religious family, and a gay child… Ahhh yes, the two needed components for a horror story, yet, this is a light and emotional memoir about the story of the author and his journey on self-discovery, although he stated, in the very first words that he knew he was gay from the beginning.
While the author tells you his childhood and family origins, there are, yes, quite thought-provoking statements and recollection of the thoughts he had as a child, and hilarious moments of him thinking about and seeing life in a unreal way, only to find out that well, real life is… Real, hahahahaha.
And as you lose yourself in this book, quite quickly actually, the old question arises: Why are all grandmothers cool? And Baka, his grandmother is one example of sheer awesomeness, you will laugh and frown at the descriptions that the author presents of her and feel the love he has for that woman, even though his favourite person in the world was his mother.
It’s interesting, the questions that young Roger would make, and thought, specially about – and in relation to – god, and those questions make you go: “hmmm…. ” because, although they are small and many times innocent questions, they are impossible to ignore and simply dismiss.
Perhaps, one of the things we notice as we read, is the detail of how details matter, this, told in detail. Lol. Yes, but once you read it, you will agree with us that, we learn how tiny words, movements, gestures and even silences dramatically shape relationships, perceptions and even, on the long-run, lives. Wow. This helps us realize how important clear communication, both in words and meaning, is. Nice!
Although this book is about the self-discovery of a gay man, mostly focused on childhood onwards, it will be relatable to people who were born into deeply christian, orthodox families that didn’t show much emotion to each other. There are many nuanced observations, realizations and behaviour that will click a button to the reader as the pages fly by, specially if you grew up as a shy person.
Many of the experiences related by the author were lived in the classroom or at school in general, and it is uncanny on how well Roger Leslie, the author, remembers the many experiences he lived. This helps us to see how much the teachers and schoolmates, through small gestures, and at times with dismissal and frustration, shaped, in moments aplenty, his life forever.
There is, a crisp imagery of what he saw, experienced, spoke, heard and most surprisingly, what he thought and felt in these interactions. Yes, of course, we all have special and highly impactful moments that mark on our minds forever, but, to be able to retell many of his experiences in such a complete and rich way is fascinating, not only for the richness itself, but we get to understand the inner workings of the author’s mind at the time and how he slowly evolved in perception through age and experiences.
An even more interesting aspect of this book, is how it can make us understand the mind of a quiet and “invisible” person, being gay or not, and the inner struggles they might be having with themselves, and how can we , with little gestures, bring them out of themselves or simply make them company that will mark their lives forever, and many times, saving them. This book is wonderful in this regard.
As the title suggests, this memoir has both characteristics of light. It is light and it illuminates, on many fronts, the issues gay men, through his sharing of experiences, have in coming to terms with themselves, their families and their religion and the dynamics they have to navigate through, many times without support or guidance, in order to find a balance in life, and within themselves and how hard it is, to accept themselves as they are and deal with society in general. It’s personal, yes, but it’s quite eye-opening and easy to read. Great job by the author.
If you want to read a simple, humorous, insightful memoir that will leave you open to the importance of being attentive with other people, (although this is not the main subject of the book), this is a read you want to dive into. Grab you copy here, or on the links below.
Cons:
- The pace might be “too steady” for some people.
Pros:
- Excellent narrative
- The author could create a vivid and clear imagery of what he wanted to describe
- Emotionally deep and enlightening
- Great humour
- Nice tie-ups to each chapter, perfect in many occasions
- There is a whole new light shown on the difficulties gay people endure internally and externally while kids and teens
Scribble's Worth 
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