Rating: 
Summary: Hiking a Moral Mindfield with Blind Guide!
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," and "Common Sons"). 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. The book relates the story of how one of its main (gay) male characters and his lover impregnate a young girl in order to have a child of their own. The dubious morality of how this is accomplished is lathered over by page after page of justification, rationalization, and excuse. After finishing this book I felt that I had somehow (miraculously) survived a hike through a moral mindfield with a blind guide!
Rating: 
Summary: Lively, Engaging Book by a Talented Author
Review: In the middle 1980s, author Ronald Donaghe envisioned a four book series which he called Common Threads in the Life. The initial book, Common Sons, was published in 1989 and found a cult audience, particularly among youth, both gay and lesbian, who were struggling with their own coming out issues. Then it took well over a decade to bring the sequel to fruition. The Blind Season is that long-awaited sequel and is the continued story of Joel Reece and Tom Allen, two young men from Common, New Mexico. The sequel picks up in 1970, four years after Common Sons left off. The two boys are now young men who live together, work on Joel's parents' farm, and consider themselves married. Though the townspeople continue to be suspicious, prejudiced, and unsupporting, Tom and Joel are mostly happy-but not entirely happy because they want children of their own. The boys set out to find a young woman to carry their child, and they meet Sharon Minninger, who is a shunned Mennonite runaway living over the border in Mexico. Sharon has dreams of her own, including getting an education and making something of herself. She agrees to bear Tom and Joel's child in return for help to go to college. The circumstances of the baby's conception, Sharon's pregnancy, and the little girl who is subsequently born bring strong feelings out in the open from the townspeople and from Tom and Joel's families as well. The story of how they navigate all of this is suspenseful, dramatic, and touching. While many people are against Tom and Joel - particularly the vicious, latent homosexual police officer in town - they gradually find others like Margaret, the low-key lesbian from the local diner, who support and encourage them. In addition, there are some real surprises from members of their families. This story evoked a tear or two along with a few chuckles. It's lively, entertaining, and a highly effective sequel to Common Sons. Mr. Donaghe is a talented writer who continues to put a realistic and reflective face on the gay young men about whom he writes. This is a book anyone from high school to age 100 could enjoy, and I highly recommend both this book and the series.
~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review
Rating:
Summary: Lively, Engaging Book by a Talented Author
Review: In the middle 1980s, author Ronald Donaghe envisioned a four book series which he called Common Threads in the Life. The initial book, Common Sons, was published in 1989 and found a cult audience, particularly among youth, both gay and lesbian, who were struggling with their own coming out issues. Then it took well over a decade to bring the sequel to fruition. The Blind Season is that long-awaited sequel and is the continued story of Joel Reece and Tom Allen, two young men from Common, New Mexico. The sequel picks up in 1970, four years after Common Sons left off. The two boys are now young men who live together, work on Joel's parents' farm, and consider themselves married. Though the townspeople continue to be suspicious, prejudiced, and unsupporting, Tom and Joel are mostly happy-but not entirely happy because they want children of their own. The boys set out to find a young woman to carry their child, and they meet Sharon Minninger, who is a shunned Mennonite runaway living over the border in Mexico. Sharon has dreams of her own, including getting an education and making something of herself. She agrees to bear Tom and Joel's child in return for help to go to college. The circumstances of the baby's conception, Sharon's pregnancy, and the little girl who is subsequently born bring strong feelings out in the open from the townspeople and from Tom and Joel's families as well. The story of how they navigate all of this is suspenseful, dramatic, and touching. While many people are against Tom and Joel - particularly the vicious, latent homosexual police officer in town - they gradually find others like Margaret, the low-key lesbian from the local diner, who support and encourage them. In addition, there are some real surprises from members of their families. This story evoked a tear or two along with a few chuckles. It's lively, entertaining, and a highly effective sequel to Common Sons. Mr. Donaghe is a talented writer who continues to put a realistic and reflective face on the gay young men about whom he writes. This is a book anyone from high school to age 100 could enjoy, and I highly recommend both this book and the series.
~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review
Rating:
Summary: Sequel mania
Review: One thing I love about this author is his realistic point of view that not everybody is going to respond horribly to the fact that somebody comes out of the closet. This makes his books much more readable to me.In this story, the two main characters are still together five years later and are about to be fathers through the help of an unfortunate runnaway from a Mennonite community.
The main drama in this book concerns their friend and his viruently homophobic yet gay boyfriend.
I won't give away the ending but I will say that I enjoyed it all the way through and I got a nice smile from the part where a person who had done nothing but harrass the two main characters in the first book seemed to regret that, this author didn't have them give a long speech, just a smile was enough.
Rating:
Summary: Sequel mania
Review: One thing I love about this author is his realistic point of view that not everybody is going to respond horribly to the fact that somebody comes out of the closet. This makes his books much more readable to me.In this story, the two main characters are still together five years later and are about to be fathers through the help of an unfortunate runnaway from a Mennonite community.
The main drama in this book concerns their friend and his viruently homophobic yet gay boyfriend.
I won't give away the ending but I will say that I enjoyed it all the way through and I got a nice smile from the part where a person who had done nothing but harrass the two main characters in the first book seemed to regret that, this author didn't have them give a long speech, just a smile was enough.
Rating:
Summary: Whatever happened to Tom and Joel?
Review: Ron Donaghe's second installment following "Common Sons" in The Common Threads in the Life series, picks up with "The Blind Season." The story continues five years afer we've left Joel and Tom in "Common Sons." Joel, never one to accept other people's ideas of what he should or shouldn't do, or what he can or cannot have as a homosexual man living an openly homosexual life, once agains follows his heart. In the process he upsets a lot of people, shocks many more, and creates a lot of division within the town of Common, New Mexico, where he lives. Donaghe's setting for this story is once again the New Mexican desert. His vivid descriptions of the New Mexican landscape come from the heart, and his love for the the setting is evident, serving only to enhance the story. Without giving away too many details, suffice it to say that Joel finds a way to fulfill his dream of becoming a father, raising a family, and leading a life no different from anyone else's with the man he loves.
Donaghe's story is a testament to listening to one's own heart, rather than to others' and about following one's dreams and making them reality, no matter how many people tell you "you can't." It's a statement about the rights--regrettably, rights that need to be fought for--of gay men to have what most people take for granted.
For those who first met Tom and Joel in "Common Sons," and want to know what became of them, I highly recommend "The Blind Season." Donaghe's writing style is riveting, easy on the senses, and draws the reader in from the beginning.
This book is a great follow-up to "Common Sons."
Rating:
Summary: Whatever happened to Tom and Joel?
Review: Ron Donaghe's second installment following "Common Sons" in The Common Threads in the Life series, picks up with "The Blind Season." The story continues five years afer we've left Joel and Tom in "Common Sons." Joel, never one to accept other people's ideas of what he should or shouldn't do, or what he can or cannot have as a homosexual man living an openly homosexual life, once agains follows his heart. In the process he upsets a lot of people, shocks many more, and creates a lot of division within the town of Common, New Mexico, where he lives. Donaghe's setting for this story is once again the New Mexican desert. His vivid descriptions of the New Mexican landscape come from the heart, and his love for the the setting is evident, serving only to enhance the story. Without giving away too many details, suffice it to say that Joel finds a way to fulfill his dream of becoming a father, raising a family, and leading a life no different from anyone else's with the man he loves.
Donaghe's story is a testament to listening to one's own heart, rather than to others' and about following one's dreams and making them reality, no matter how many people tell you "you can't." It's a statement about the rights--regrettably, rights that need to be fought for--of gay men to have what most people take for granted.
For those who first met Tom and Joel in "Common Sons," and want to know what became of them, I highly recommend "The Blind Season." Donaghe's writing style is riveting, easy on the senses, and draws the reader in from the beginning.
This book is a great follow-up to "Common Sons."
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful continuation of Love, and acceptance!
Review: Ronald has done it again! The Blind Season is the second book in a four book series (first being 'Common Sons'). This is a continuation of the story of Tom and Joel, but 5 years later than 'Common Sons'. Joel and Tom decide (rather Joel insists) it is time for them to have children. Tom must deal with his lingering religious objections to go along with his 'husband'. Knowing that in 1970, adoption of a child by Gay parents was not going to happen, they enlist the help of Sharon, a shunned Mennonite from Mexico. This book covers the next two years of Joel and Tom's life from the point of meeting Sharon until... of course I am not going to give any of this away. My hats off to the Author, Ronald Donaghe... he has continued a well written, easily readable, MAJOR page turning series. I am starting the third book in his series today ('The Salvation Mongers') today. I cannot wait!!!! I HIGHLY recommend this book. It works as a standalone if you have not read 'Common Sons', but I would recommend you read it first to really, truly understand what Joel and Tom and their 'extended' family is all about.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful continuation of Love, and acceptance!
Review: Ronald has done it again! The Blind Season is the second book in a four book series (first being 'Common Sons'). This is a continuation of the story of Tom and Joel, but 5 years later than 'Common Sons'. Joel and Tom decide (rather Joel insists) it is time for them to have children. Tom must deal with his lingering religious objections to go along with his 'husband'. Knowing that in 1970, adoption of a child by Gay parents was not going to happen, they enlist the help of Sharon, a shunned Mennonite from Mexico. This book covers the next two years of Joel and Tom's life from the point of meeting Sharon until... of course I am not going to give any of this away. My hats off to the Author, Ronald Donaghe... he has continued a well written, easily readable, MAJOR page turning series. I am starting the third book in his series today ('The Salvation Mongers') today. I cannot wait!!!! I HIGHLY recommend this book. It works as a standalone if you have not read 'Common Sons', but I would recommend you read it first to really, truly understand what Joel and Tom and their 'extended' family is all about.
Rating:
Summary: Should become a classic of gay literature
Review: Ronald L. Donaghe continues his 'Common Threads in the Life' series with a novel that excels both as a family drama and as an action drama. Five years after the events of the novel Common Sons, Donaghe's young lovers Tom and Joel decide to start a family. The struggles they face come from unexpected sources, keeping readers guessing at the next obstacles or solutions. Donaghe delivers what should become a classic of gay literature.
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