THE LOWDOWN:
Fourteen-year-old Louis Bowman is in a boxing ring—a housing project circa 1968—fighting “just to get to the end of the round.” Sharing the ring is his mother, Jeanette Stamps, a ferociously stubborn woman battling for her own dreams to be realized; his stepfather, Ben Stamps, the would-be savior, who becomes the sparring partner to them both; and the enigmatic Ray Anthony Robinson, the neighborhood “hoodlum” in purple polyester pants, who sets young Louis’s heart spinning with the first stirrings of sexual longing. 

FIRST IMPRESSION:
Mom and I were both sure Ben was dead. If I’m never sure of anything else in my life, I knew the exact moment Ben and I had stopped speaking to each other for good. And I knew Mom could tell he wasn’t listening to her anymore, either.

—Hardcover edition

SNAPSHOT:
Louis Bowman’s conversational first person narration details how he survives the projects, his casually cruel stepfather, and neighborhood bullies–all while coming into his own as a young gay man of color in 1960s Connecticut. Like a soft love-song melody, Louis’ story, snatched up and brushed off for a reprinting with a new publisher, will stay with readers long after they’ve heard it.

Because he was more of a sensitive kid, interested more in reading and listening to his mother’s daydreaming of her brush with fame than fighting or learning how to ride a bike, adults and peers alike singled Louis out for abuse. Even his mother succumbs to pressure, put on her by Louis’ stepfather, to teach him to ‘man up’. He is pushed beyond his own desires by the expectations of others, not appreciated by his family and community for the intelligent, gentle person he is.

The secondary characters shine, as well. Ray Anthony in particular is a wonderful example of how sometimes the people who support us the most emotionally aren’t related to us; and how ‘bad kids’ can still be very good people.

Appropriate for ages 14+. Strong language, violence, intense and difficult situations . Deals with sexual and personal identity, domestic abuse, bullying, family and community, and making a better future for yourself.

GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…

– Enjoy realistic historical fiction of days not so long past
– Need more sensitive young men narrating your tales
– Ever wondered what it was like to be an urban teen struggling with LGBT issues
– Have ever felt a love that creeped in and took hold while you weren’t looking

THE ESSENTIALS:
YA Historical LGBT
Hardcover & Ebook, 224 pages
Published August 27th, 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (ISBN 1442474742)
www.books.simonandschuster.com/Sunday-You-Learn-How-to-Box/Bil-Wright/9781442474727

(Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster.)