by Doug Howery
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Gender confused Smiley Hanlon runs from hatred and bigotry... He returns with a vengeance... Old scores and unspeakable crimes are settled...Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a ‘Freak’ is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying – or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days…until the night everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of “Carrie” culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever...
In the autumn of 1950, his father, Ted, viciously attacks precocious, effeminate 16-year-old Smiley Hanlon. Smiley, his friend, and Protector, Lee, keep the attack a secret. Because of their sexual identity, Lee and Smiley are banished from their family in Solitude, Virginia, and find refuge in New York...
This is their story and the story of so many others who suffered under the psychology of the day that their sexual identity is a sickness...
AUTHOR BIO
Author Doug Howery penned the novel with insight into his own struggle for sexual identity and personal tragedy. His mother committed suicide in 1982, blaming her two sons’ sexual identity in a letter and declaring herself a martyr for intolerance and social bigotry. She referred to her own sons as “Gutter Rats that Could Rot in Hell” and represents the hate and mistrust that have plagued
society.
REVIEWS
This book will stay with you long after you've finished it.
By Heather Gon August 13, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
“The Grass Sweeper God” is a hard book to read, harder still to imagine someone living it. Ripped from the heart of what can only be an echo of personal experience and pain, this account speaks of unsinkable souls, lost identities and struggling to be who you are meant to be.
Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a ‘Freak’ is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying – or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days…until the night everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of “Carrie” culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever.
This is their story, but it is also the story of so many others – both in this book and out of it. From the backwoods of Solitude to the sprawling cement gardens of New York City, this book spans 20 years and many lives. History comes alive with the recounting of the Stonewall Riots while the chilling fact that homosexuality was, and in many places still is, considered an abomination worthy of mental illness and subsequent shock treatment is disturbing and humbling. This tale breaks a heart, crushes a soul and somehow gives birth to a beautiful butterfly.
Doug Howery illustrates with words a pain few can comprehend, weaving this complex novel in scenes compelling and deep. There is a risk to his vision, words that leave little to the imagination – and honesty that begs the reader to look a bit deeper. This is an amazing book, one I highly recommend. Well written and poignant, no matter your genre preference – this novel should be in
your library.
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