by Irving, John
First published 2012
Billy grows up as what he calls a "sexual suspect" in a world that demands clear categories. Over more than fifty years, he moves through relationships with friends and lovers who refuse to fit conventional molds. His story spans decades of self-discovery as a bisexual man in America, from his early years through adulthood. Billy encounters a theatrical cast of people who challenge social expectations about gender and sexuality. Each relationship teaches him something new about desire and identity. The novel follows his attempts to understand himself while building meaningful connections with others. Billy struggles with the loneliness that comes from existing between categories that society recognizes. His journey becomes one of learning to value himself despite a world that often fails to understand bisexuality. Irving creates a tragicomic portrait of one man's lifelong effort to find belonging and love.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, lgbt, bisexual
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, self-acceptance
Period: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
425 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster