NOTHING PINK by Mark Hardy - Review by Roy Chaudoir

This is a charming and enchanting love story of a teenage boy who is acutely aware of his gay identification since childhood.  His parents are the very definition of conservative, albeit loving, parents--a parson or pastor and his wife.  Into this picture comes a beautiful boy who is a member of the new pastor's congregation, and becomes a familiar with the protagonist, Vincent.  One does not wish for the story to progress too fast because the reading of it is delicious.  One wishes to savor each scene and passage deeply.  It's the kind of book you read and think of Truman Capote's OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS, or A SEPARATE PEACE.  The very texture of the atmosphere of the story rubs against the reader's psyche in such a way that we are identified with these two boys bareback riding a gentle horse, Happy, together in the sun, one in front guiding the reigns every so lightly as the handsome boyfriend, Robert, hugs and holds on tight, pressing themselves together in an intimate paradisaical afternoon during which they savor one each the others sweet sweat scented body, like the anticipation before the hoped for union.  The twist in the plot that conflicts the reader empathizing with the two boys is that the boy's eventual romance is found out by Vincent's parents.  They have a reaction to his homosexuality that to some may seem vague and non-committal but my personal knowledge of how ministers have dealt with their real life son's homosexuality seems believable to me.  Lets say Vincent and Robert become romantically involved and the preacher and his wife have to accept a fact of life, and somehow reconcile their religion with this seeming contradiction.  In the way the real world works we find a dilemma that is never satisfactorily resolved, but only accommodated.  A poignant and bittersweet resolution to the plot tension.  However, important to the truth of this story is that Vincent comes to realize that God accepts him as he is, gay. I think this story is great for young readers but I found it refreshing in it's innocence and youthful ambiance.  I'd like to see more writings by Mark Hardy incorporated into young gay readers groups, and his books made available to young gays--If I were a wealthy benefactor I'd advertise this book for the National Library Association, and the organizations like GLEN for gay teachers.  I shall send a copy to my favorite award winning gay high school teacher, Kenn Mitchell!    rc     [For Book Available in several formats including Kindle at Amazon.com click here.]