Jeanne Barrack

Bend in the Road is a two stories anthology, but it's really only a book since the two stories are strictly connected.

In the Lion's Den Aryeh Nachman is the bastard son of a wealthy man who provided for him till his twenty-one year and then left him alone in the world. Truth be told, Aryeh was just alone in the world, having left his home in England at eighteen years old when his unrequited but returned love for his tutor gave him no chance: his tutor was from Poland, and after spending five years with Aryeh and realized that he loved the man, he decided to return back home and married. Since to Aryeh was never denied anything, this refusal didn't set well with the young man, and he spent the following years searching for the love he was denied; from careless rake with his father's money to kept man for wealthy and older women, Aryeh is now without money and a roof and he accepts the offer of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe. Here he meets Danaleh, a very young and very innocent man, but even if innocent, and very much virgin, Danaleh knows that he is not interested in woman, on the contrary he is very much drawn to the handsome Aryeh. Even if Aryeh is not much older than Danaleh, he is very much more experienced and he doesn't want to taint Danaleh with his 'filthy' desires. But if he only knew that Danaleh, with his naivete and innocence, is more than eager to be the heroine in Aryeh's dreams, in fact Danaleh has a penchant to dress as a woman, a thing he can only realize when he is on stage, but that he would so like to do also in private, with Aryeh.

In From Stage to Stage is the story of talented musician Yuval Smolenski, the other member of the troupe who has more interest in men than women, but as for Aryeh and Danaleh, it's not simple for him to find a soul mate. He travels with his sister, a grown woman with mental problem who behaves like a child, and Yuval, even if interested, would never marry and leave her alone. And so he is content with the few hush encounters he can snatch in anonymous cities. But being Jewish and gay is becoming more and more dangerous, for a reason or another. Then, while rehearsing for a big marriage during which they will perform, he meets Tsvi, a big man with the face of a monster and the voice of an angel. Also Tsvi is hiding, but more his preferences for men, he is hiding his religious origins: he is a member of the Chassidim, an ultra religious sect of Judaism, and he has some reason why he doesn't want for it to be known. But when he sings, his origins are very much clear, since he sings like he is making love with God, and Yuval can't help to love him as well, despite his external looks.

For complete different reason, both couples don't consider themself worthy of love: Aryeh probably believes to be tainted, Danaleh to be too simple, Yuval consider a problem his religion and Tsvi is running away from his sense of guilty. All of them will find shelter and a new family in the traveling theatre troupe, and around them history will have its course, making the novel quite fascinating and really interesting for the history lovers. Part of this fascination is also due to the very detailed and researched work that the author obviously made: the Jewish culture and way of life of the end of the nineteen century is described in such details that even if you are not familiar with the words and the customs, you will find yourself immersed in them... and if you have some problems, well there is a very helpful glossary at the end of the book!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608200027/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (mer)

Jeanne Barrack first attempt to M/M romance has a nostalgic taste. It's a mix of contemporary-historical-paranormal.

Brandon is a journalist specialized in paranormal activity. Since he is gay, he is also very interested in a legend, The Vigilant Soldier. Every twenty years a soldier, Aaron, appears to vigil over the grave of a fellow soldier, Matthew, died during the Civil War. From small pieces of news, Brandon believes that the two men were lovers, and he wants to discover the truth about this apparent "ghost". To gain information, Brandon has no problem to use his "body" as bargain, actually Brandon is a very sexually easy man.

The night in which the ghost should appear, he was rescue by a sudden storm from a stranger man. Ron claims to be the guardian of Matthew's grave and when he takes Brandon to his home, Brandon finds that Ron lives like an hermit in a beautiful home that seems to be out from the nineteen century. Ron seems to know many things about the two lovers, Aaron and Matthew, and he makes a bargain with Brandon: in exchange of a week of Brandon's life as his lover, Ron will reveal all the truth about Aaron and Matthew. But more the time passes and more Brandon seems to be enthralled no more by the old lovers, but by his new lover Ron.

The book is written if first point of view and follows Brandon's thoughts. Like Brandon, also Ron seems to be a very "easy" man regarding sex, and so their relationship is from the start down and dirty. Ron has not a simple behavior, he sometime acts like a domineering man, and wants to be the Alpha of the moment, and soon after he seems to need the strenght and the reassurance of Brandon. Brandon instead is simpler, he has his scope in mind and he will do anything to reach it.

The story is not very long, little more than 100 pages, but it flows smoothly and enjoyable. Maybe a bit of an hurry in the last part, after spending so many time to entertain us with Aaron and Matthew's story, I'd like to know a little more on Ron and Brandon's ones. But one of the strenght of the book is also to have perfectly mixed present and past, making enjoyable both stories.… (mer)