Following three excellent books of essays ("Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me," "That's Mr. Faggot To You," "It's Not Mean If It's True") and two rather enjoyable summer fluff novels ("Last Summer," "Looking For It"), I picked up Michael Thomas Ford's "Full Circle" with much anticipation. Released in the summer of 2006 (and the paperback version in August of this year), Ford seems to have hit his creative stride with this wonderful tale of friendship, love, and family.
"Full Circle" chronicles five decades in the lives of Ned Brummel and Jack Grace. Next door neighbors, born a day apart, the boys are lifelong friends/brothers/lovers/companions. Inseparable from birth, the boys become the best of friends in 1950s Philadelphia, having joint birthday parties, joining the boy scouts, star gazing, double dating. Their bond is immensely strong and, as they enter their teenage years, the two fall in love.
From there Ford weaves a well crafted story that takes the boys through college, lost love, separation, Vietnam, the heady days of San Francisco in the 1970s, and the resulting AIDS crisis of the 1980s. He skillfully weaves his characters through 50 years of American life and strife, presenting that world from a uniquely gay perspective, detailing all the confusion, denial, anger and - finally - acceptance of a world where gay people fought most of those 50 years just to fit in, and how they came to rely on each other to form bonds that stretch well beyond biological families.
"Full Circle" is the perfect novel for a crisp fall or winter weekend. Grab some wine, curl up in a comfy chair, and enjoy this wonderful piece of literary wonder.
