“An engaging novel with a narrator you may already know—he’s Catholic, he’s whimsical, he's contemplative and amusing. He also happens to be gay.’’ —Sandra Scoppettone Author of I’ll Be Leaving You Always

Michael Bellman is not your average little boy. He speaks to plates, banisters, and other household objects (preferring them to people). He frequently confesses to sins he never committed (like adultery). And he’s hopelessly drawn to the romantic notion of the double life. Though Michael blends into the furniture like the soft patterns in the fabric, he longs for— and imagines—a secret wild self that could break free of convention. Michael spends summers in Monsalvat, Michigan, coming of age in a loving tangle of great aunts, great uncles, cousins once-removed (but ever-present), and one tough-looking, silently scary great-grandmother. The Kaisers are a very wild, highly eccentric bunch: Great Aunt Teresa reads Michael the original Cinderella story at bedtime, cutting out the gruesome details of blinded step-sisters and severed feet; Great Uncle Jimmy speaks to his dead wife during meals and proudly proclaims himself the Fattest Man in the World; Cousin Ann torments and taunts Michael beyond recognition; reckless Cousin Tommy secretly smokes cigars and can’t wait to “kick butt in ’Nam”—and Michael watches every magical move he makes. A few years and one driver’s license later, as family alliances change and long-silent desires surface, Michael begins to understand his attraction to the double life because he’s living one—at road-side rest stops, in librarywashrooms and public parks. Coming out is the first step, coming to terms is the next....

The Genius of Desire: A Novel

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