Dressing as Julia
This passionate teenage romance brings together things remembered from boarding-school days, things glimpsed and overheard during directing nearly 70 youth theatre productions and times spent in New York and fascinating Nova Scotia. The novel looks at a spectrum of relationships among high school pupils and their teachers, from life-long, quiet devotion to obsessive, short-lived and unhappy infatuation. Homosexually inclined teenage boys are often drawn to drama, and I have directed many interesting and pleasant ones over the years, so I wanted to portray them sympathetically and realistically in this story. Writing it has been an interesting change from my recent comedies and dark satires.
Trans-Oceanic-Press
ISBN: 978-1-9164295-1-2
Available on-line from Amazon and Witley Press Bookshop: 429 page paperback £8.99, Kindle £3.99
Published May 2022
reviews
“In just the opening few chapters of this intriguing novel, I was impressed by the smooth, effortless writing. Characterisation, sense of place, dialogue, detail and – above all – strong feeling made a powerful impression. This is a sincere exploration of a middle-aged man’s infatuation with the central boyish character, and the passionate love (explicitly, but not gratuitously described) between two students in an end-of-semester play. This readable, emotionally moving novel (with its relevant theme as young people seek their sexual identity) deserves to find a sympathetic readership”. Dr Philip Holt (author of “Malden College Tales”, “But That’s Ridiculous” and “God – the case against”) on Amazon
“A heart-warming story of love. Touching, tender, gritty and passionate set against a background of love, lust and friendship. The ending was thrilling and imaginative, and the use of English fantastic.” Patrick Solomon on Amazon
“Four out of four stars! The novel centres on discovery and transformation. It is a controversial book, but with a fascinating storyline – unique and very creative. The descriptive skills are highly commendable, and the novel easy to read. The insight into the main characters is laudable; it is a great book. It deserves a full four-star rating because it has such a captivating story.” American On-line Book Club review