A Book A Week

What are your must-have ingredients for a perfect summer read? I want a book that captures my attention from the start, the kind of book I can't stop reading. I need to fall for the characters and have someone to root for. Most importantly, I need an intelligent book that doesn't take itself too seriously. Bring on some humor! My last few reads have been tense thrillers and a war epic, so I was desperately in need of that perfect summer read. Lucky for me, a copy of Byron Lane's new novel Big Gay Wedding arrived at my door courtesy of his publisher. It was exactly the kind of book I was looking for. 

Chrissy's life has seen a lot of change in the past few years. Her son Barnett moved from the rural Louisianna farm to the "heathen coasts" of Los Angeles. Her husband passed away, leaving Chrissy alone to run the family farm. Now she makes ends meet by hosting school tours of the farm. Despite all the change, Chrissy hangs onto the hope that one day Barnett will move back to take over the family estate. He's coming home for a visit this weekend and has told her that he has something he wants to tell her. Could this be the thing Chrissy has been waiting for? Is Barnett finally moving back home?

Barnett's return to the farm he grew up on is filled with trepidation. He loves his mom, but his coming out to her caused their relationship to become distant. He knows his mom loves him, but her deep-rooted faith prevents her from truly accepting him for who he is. Knowing this only makes Barnett more nervous. You see, he's come home to introduce him to Ezra the man he loves with all of his heart. As if that's not enough, the couple is planning to get married. They hope to have the wedding at the family farm. The wheels have been put in motion to have the event this weekend. Will Chrissy press the breaks, or finally accept her son and the man he loves?

Big Gay Wedding sees Byron Lane write a novel that wears its heart on its sleeves. As I read the opening chapters, I couldn't help but think of the work it took my own mom to come to terms with me being gay. There was a period when both of us weren't sure how to communicate with each other, but our unconditional love won out. Lane doesn't shy away from the complex realities of homophobia. This fictional town is laced with well-meaning Christians who just don't know what to make of the loud and proud gay couple who are hosting a large event in their town.  Lane laces the entire book with humor that had me audibly laughing at several points in the story. His characters are larger than life and will have you rooting for them even during their most absurd moments. Ultimately Big Gay Wedding is a novel about the unyielding power of love. Gay, straight, or somewhere in between, this is the kind of aspirational story that will appeal to summer readers of all kinds. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 34)