Uncle Sean

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Summary: Review of "Uncle Sean" by Cheri Rosenberg
Review: "Uncle Sean", by Ronald L. Donaghe, is the first book in the series: "The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett". It is a sweet story; you can't help falling in love with Will and caring about him. Plus, the positive impact Uncle Sean has on Will is also worth noting and admiring. You hate for the book to end! Fortunately it doesn't have to, with two sequels already in print, "Lance" and "All Over Him".

The story begins when Will is 14 years old and gets an idea to keep a journal. Will is compelled to write down his feelings when his Uncle Sean comes to live with his family after being discharged from the army. Will falls in love with his uncle the moment he lays eyes on him. He thinks Uncle Sean is "pretty" and he longs to kiss his lips. Loving Uncle Sean stirs up emotions and desires Will didn't know he possessed. He is naïve and totally unaware there could be any danger in loving, not only another boy, but a man, who also happens to be his uncle.

Will and Sean form a special bond. Sean tries to impart words of wisdom about love and what it means to be gay. He also impresses upon Will the importance of saving himself for the one he loves and not having sex with the first boy he meets. Innocently, Will doesn't understand why he and Sean can`t be boyfriends, so Sean leaves Will with some pearls of wisdom that he will only understand once he matures. The physical attraction between uncle and nephew is so palpable you feel sure Sean will inappropriately give Will what he so desperately wants. The fact that Sean understands his nephew's feelings and doesn't take advantage of him reaffirms our faith in morality and decency.

Unfortunately, Will's parents are afraid of Sean's influence on their son and question the nature of their relationship since they suspect Sean is gay. So, what is a totally innocent and healthy relationship between the two is misconstrued by Will's parents to be something perverse. The tension between Sean and Will's father causes Sean to move away much to Will's dismay further adding to the boy's loneliness.

When Will meets Lance, a troubled boy close to his own age, he falls in love. When you finish the last page of "Uncle Sean" you better have "Lance", the sequel, handy because you won't be able to wait to find out what happens to Will, Lance, Sean and the rest of the family.

Ronald L. Donaghe enriches this story with beautiful descriptions of the southern New Mexican landscape, the intricacies of family life, and the workings of a farm. The dialect in the beginning of the book, as the younger Will writes, sets the mood and makes Will more real. You get to watch him grow, fall in love, deal with loss, and take up life's responsibilities.

I enjoyed this book for its honesty, intensity of feelings and the raw emotions it provokes in all of us as we relive our own experiences with our first crush while dealing with raging hormones and mixed up feelings. Donaghe is a talented writer and a great storyteller. "Uncle Sean" keeps you engrossed from beginning to end. Read it and you will see what I mean.

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Summary: Soon to be a classic!
Review: A Big Chief tablet, a letter, a spiral notebook, and a pair of Vietnam era dog tags. When Ronald L. Donaghe throws these ingredients into the pot, the result is a sumptuous tale of love, need, and self-discovery. Thirty years ago, the tablet belonged to Will Barnett, a farm boy in New Mexico who found himself inexplicably drawn to his troubled uncle, Sean. Through Will's writings, the reader literally feels Will's thoughts about Sean evolve from curiosity to an odd but real love. After discovering Will's crush, Sean takes on the role of mentor, gently helping his nephew understand the implications of his feelings, and setting him on the path to finding a love of his own. As the other components of Mr. Donaghe's recipe are revealed, Will's story unfolds with the beauty and simplicity of a rose attaining full bloom.

Masterfully written, Uncle Sean is a realistic tale of one family's struggle with a harsh environment, Vietnam era politics, and the homosexual taboo. The characters are well defined and multidimensional, the setting is so real it made me crave a drink of cold water and the shade of an Elm tree, and the pace is comfortably quick. This book will remain in my library, and I expect to read much more of Mr. Donaghe's work.

Rating:
Summary: Soon to be a classic!
Review: A Big Chief tablet, a letter, a spiral notebook, and a pair of Vietnam era dog tags. When Ronald L. Donaghe throws these ingredients into the pot, the result is a sumptuous tale of love, need, and self-discovery. Thirty years ago, the tablet belonged to Will Barnett, a farm boy in New Mexico who found himself inexplicably drawn to his troubled uncle, Sean. Through Will's writings, the reader literally feels Will's thoughts about Sean evolve from curiosity to an odd but real love. After discovering Will's crush, Sean takes on the role of mentor, gently helping his nephew understand the implications of his feelings, and setting him on the path to finding a love of his own. As the other components of Mr. Donaghe's recipe are revealed, Will's story unfolds with the beauty and simplicity of a rose attaining full bloom.

Masterfully written, Uncle Sean is a realistic tale of one family's struggle with a harsh environment, Vietnam era politics, and the homosexual taboo. The characters are well defined and multidimensional, the setting is so real it made me crave a drink of cold water and the shade of an Elm tree, and the pace is comfortably quick. This book will remain in my library, and I expect to read much more of Mr. Donaghe's work.

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Summary: So Real it Sweats
Review: As a middle school (junior high) English teacher, I was delighted to run across this book. Every high school library should have it available for questioning youth, and it should be required reading for parents and teachers, alike. Not to give anything away, it is the painfully hand-written story of one Will Barnett, who falls in love with his Uncle Sean, a Vietnam vet who has recently come to stay with his family: his sister Arlene and her husband and four children. He has recently been discharged from a military hospital, though for exactly what kind of "wound" is not made clear in the beginning. But 14 year-old Will is about to find out. He is so struck with his uncle's beauty, so emotionally caught by his feelings, that he feels compelled to write about them. We readers are his uneasy observers as he slathers his thoughts onto the pages of a Big Chief tablet. At first it is painful to read Will's butchered prose, but as he progresses, so does his command of the language as he forces himself to write and read and squeeze the words from deep down within his soul. Maybe this work is a bit too mature for junior high students (maybe not), but one never doubts that those very students would quickly identify with Will Barnett. I wouldn't hesitate to urge high school students to read it, however.

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Summary: Dissenting Opinion!
Review: Be forewarned. The reviews of this writer's books are effusively generous with their praise - suspiciously and undeservedly so, in my opinion.

This book would probably appeal to someone in the 13- to 15-year-old age range (like "Uncle Sean," "Lance, "Common Sons" and "The Blind Season"). It is not for adults. It is not for those who enjoy good reading. It is poorly written, repetitive, and unsatisfying. The characters are sappy and emotional - they cry a lot. While the situations and themes created for them are serious (child abuse, bigotry towards gays, commitment in relations), the solutions are sensational, melodramatic, and ultimately unrealistic.

This book is "thin" on content (only 196 pages). While the price paid by readers is lining the pockets of the author and his publisher, I resent having (foolishly) laid out a considerable sum to buy four of this writer's books on the strength of the overwhelmingly favorable - and, in my opinion, inaccurate and misleading - reviews published at this website. None of the reviews mention the brevity of some of these books. All of them have sequels (either published or in progress). Printing each of the series as single volumes would at least have been fairer and more honest.

To illustrate, "Uncle Sean" ends on page 196 with a footnote addressed to the main character Will Barnett (from whose journal written as a 14-year-old the book draws its story), imploring: "Will Barnett, if you are out there and can add to this story, I am sure your readers will join me in asking for more!" A similar device is employed in the sequel "Lance," which ends at page 190.

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Summary: Lovely in its simplicity!
Review: Donaghe is one of my favorite writers and Uncle Sean does not disappoint. Uncle Sean may be a trifle short even if it is meant to be the first of a trilogy. However the depth of the characters and the heart warming story more than made up for it. Will's coming-out and his love for his uncle which was not meant to be is touchingly told. Finally Will's finding his true love, Lance, just brightens my day. I am glad this is not the end.

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Summary: Uncle Sean
Review: From the first pages the reader is totally absorbed in this story. One easily forgets who really wrote it and believes without question that fourteen year old Will 's journal has been found and reproduced. The story is tender and romantic and at times very bittersweet. Will's innocence is totally endearing as he comes to understand all the nuances of what it means to be a gay boy and a gay man in the time and place where he grows up. You really feel for this boy; the writing is so realistic that you know how he feels because you it feel with him.
I don't often find a book that I can't put down, but this is one of those rare ones.
If you want to read a truly beautiful story about a gay boy's awakening, read this book!

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Summary: What lonely boys know
Review: I grew up in similar ways to Will Barnett in this great book. Lonely, in love with another boy, though I never thought about writing about my feelings like Will did for his Uncle Sean. So what if this book is written for younger guys? Younger guys should have books written for them. Though I'm in my early 20s, I still enjoyed reading about Will's crush and how his uncle handled it with caution and wisdom, and how Will learned to live with that love and go one with his life.

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Summary: Buy this book!!!
Review: The first book of a trilogy, this deceptively simple, easy to read book has a way of getting under your skin and remembering all the good things in life. It's about decent people making choices, sometimes simple, sometimes complex, but in an environment of love and sustaining values. The book speaks to the heart and celebrates the goodness in people. Not that there aren't people who make bad choices, but, more often than not, the love and support of family has been missing for them.
Once you read 'Uncle Sean', you will want to read 'Lance' and 'All Over Him' so I recommend buying all three books at once, and settling down to enjoy yourself.
Ron Donaghe captures exactly what it meant to be growing up, discovering you are gay in a small town, but his writing speaks to all of us.
Finally, write the author and let him know what you liked (or didn't) and why. He is great about responding.

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Summary: THE FIRST IN A GREAT TRILOGY
Review: To my fellow hopeless romantics, and I know there are quite a few of you, I want to recommend Ronald L. Donaghe's trilogy, THE CONTINUING JOURNALS OF WILL BARNETT, three books so full of simple honesty and heartfelt sincerity that even a few cynics out there may be swayed. UNCLE SEAN, LANCE and ALL OVER HIM share the unique perspective of a country boy who discovers love and his homosexual nature on a dusty dry New Mexico farm in the early 1970's.

Will Barnett is only 14 years old when his Mother's brother Sean (UNCLE SEAN) comes to stay with Will's family after returning from Viet Nam. Will is instantly smitten with his beautiful Uncle. Sean, who is dealing with the murder by "friendly fire" of his army lover, eventually recognizes Will's infatuation and tries to distance himself from it, but he sees the truth inside the boy and eventually begins to become emotionally attached. Through the course of the first book the reader experiences Will's growing love for his Uncle, as well as his Uncles attempts to teach Will, the beauty of what he is feeling as well as the impossibility of the two of them ever becoming "boyfriends". Frightened by the magnitude of his feelings for the boy, Sean eventually moves on, but not before he impresses upon Will, the importance of finding the right person to share his love with.

A few years pass and Will meets Lance, a frightened abused boy, in the desert. Lance's family has recently moved to the area from New Orleans and Lance has run away after a sever beating by his Stepfather. It's near love at first sight for the two teenage boys, and Will realizes the importance of his Uncle's lesson about waiting for the right person to love. Will's parents take in the battered boy, even though Will's father passes on soon after. Lance joins Will (LANCE) at the local high school where eventually their relationship is discovered. Both boys learn quickly about what to expect from the world where their relationship is concerned, but their passion holds strong.

Eventually the boys finish school, the family sells the farm and Lance, a very talented artist, accepts a scholarship to art school in San Francisco while Will takes a scholarship to U.T., and goes to live with his Uncle Sean in Austin. (ALL OVER HIM) Can their love and commitment survive this major separation, especially in light of the burgeoning gay scene in Austin and San Francisco? Can Will, help his Uncle to finally move on from his devastating loss? Or will Lance and Will's relationship fall victim to the new Gay Revolution?

I was mesmerized by how accurately Donaghe describes the times and places in these books. Without a lot of hoopla the reader is given a very important history lesson. When Will briefly describes reading THE FRONT RUNNER, it gave me chills. Reading THE FRONT RUNNER was the catalyst that made me come out 1974. I lived these times Donaghe writes about and felt these feelings he so wonderfully describes. I am forever in his debt for this love story.

Perhaps it is because I am the same age as Will or because I live in the same part of the country but I feel a bond to this story and its characters that I find difficult to adequately describe. I think more than anything it is the fundamental truth that runs through the books that makes them so special. In HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON, Ethan Mordden describes the characters of Walt and Blue as that extremely rare thing, a perfect fit. He could easily have been writing about Will and Lance. In relaying their story, Donaghe, provides hope for all the rest of us, especially our younger brothers who are just beginning their challenging gay lives. Donaghe's books speak to the magic of love, the desire to find the right guy, and be one. All the claims that gay men want a lifestyle different than what straight people have, all the assumptions that men are promiscuous by nature, are nothing more than misguided, weak attempts to erase this magic. Through the course of these novels Donaghe holds tight to these ideals, and it resonates on every page.