Common Sons

by Ronald L. Donaghe

Book Overview

Set in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the mid-1960s, Common Sons not only anticipates the coming gay revolution, but delineates its fields of battle in churches, schools and society, pitting... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595097081
• ISBN13: 9780595097081
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Writers Club Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

I loved this book even more the second time!

Common Sons is the first novel in the remarkable Common Threads in the Life series by accomplished author Ronald L. Donaghe. It takes place on the Reece farm in the middle of a New Mexican desert, near the Florida Mountains in a small town called Common. Joel Reece is a courageous seventeen year old who is not afraid to fight for what he believes. Joel discovers the name for what he is and learns first hand about hatred and discrimination. Homosexuality was believed to be "a neurotic distortion of the total personality..." by ignorant psychiatrists at that time. Rather than deny his true nature and try to make it disappear, the admirable young man stands proud in 1965 when the social climate for gays was far less tolerant. Joel, far from being neurotic and certainly not fitting any of the stereotypical characteristics of the "gay" male, is a farmer's son aspiring to follow in his father's footsteps. He falls in love with Tom Allen, a preacher's boy, after the unlikely pair became close friends and share an unplanned public kiss. Rumors that Joel and Tom are queer begin to destroy the boys' reputations. All we know about Joel at the beginning of Common Sons is, "Joel woke up disturbed." Donaghe captures the reader's attention immediately with the four-word paragraph, and holds the reader's interest for 376 pages. It doesn't take long to find out what makes Joel tick. The calm and steadfast young man is not only smart beyond his years, but he knows exactly what he wants; he wants Tom in his life-forever. Tom, a year ahead of Joel in school, has just graduated. His father has already picked out a college for him to attend, since the strict preacher doesn't allow his son to participate in any decision making-not even concerning his own future. Tom and Joel meet after Mr. Allen takes the job as preacher for the fundamentalist Church of Christ in Common. Tom, believing in his church's teachings, lives in fear of his father's wrath. Tom is aware of his homosexuality. "...drumming in his head were passages from the Bible he knew by heart," ""Sins of the flesh," "reprobate mind," "unnatural lusts."" He fights long and hard to change, but after he meets and falls in love with Joel, he begins to question his father, the Bible, and his own self-loathing. Joel teaches him the true meaning of love, self-respect, and friendship. Once the boys decide that they want to be together, they have to fight Mr. and Mrs. Allen, who cannot accept Tom's homosexuality. They refuse to have any further dealings with him unless he repents for his "hideous" sins. Luckily, Joel's parents are nothing like Tom's parents. Even though the Reeces are not that happy about the situation, they have an open mind and wouldn't consider disowning their son. Douglas Reece, Joel's father, is one of my favorite characters. He is a strong man with high standards, morals, and through his fine example, he teaches Joel to respect himself. Douglas does not allow the church's unyielding doc

just magnificent

This story was simple, yet the issue was quite complex. It focused on two young men, Joel and Tom, who fall in love. Naturally, two males falling in love is never simple, and the complexity stemmed from one's refusal to accept his sexuality. Plus, there was parental disapproval. And frowns from a close-minded, gossipy community.The story unfolds in the town of Common, and Common is as much a character as its inhabitants. Writer Ronald Donaghe took readers to Common, giving them a tour of the city, and its beautiful scenery and fresh air, and introducing the narrow-minded citizens who would never accept two men loving each other. Donaghe also does a delightfully fabulous job of torturing the reader, by keeping Tom and Joel apart for quite a stretch. There were missed phone calls and disapproving parents. And when the two guys finally came together, it took my breath away. They deserved it. They suffered for it. And I rooted for them. The common sons were not characters, but they were people who became caught up in a situation that is far more common than some people realize or are even prepared to admit.Order this book.

Not your "Common" book

This book is an excellent read from cover to cover. Finally, there is a book that captures the true side of being an average homosexual teenager. The main subject characters, from strikingly different backgrounds, are not portrayed as the "typical image" homosexual teen. The author manages to fill the book with realistic conflict that is faced by any teen coming of age and coming out. Tom and Joel make you want to be in love. They also show you how to bond together to face the hypocracy and bigotry of society, even when it's found in your own home. I just finished the book, and will read it again soon. Buy it because you'll love it.

A Must Read - takes you on a roller coaster of emotions!

Common Sons by Ronald Donaghe is an awesome novel that allows you to look back in your life when you could identify with the characters. Joel Reece is a star boxer at the high school, he gets along well with his parents and is a farmer. Tom Allen, a son of a minister, is the epitome of obedience to his father and God, and quite the scholar. What do these two young men have in common? They are both gay and in love - with each other. The way Mr. Donaghe weaves the plot between the two boys and the people of Common is magical. You will laugh, you will cry and you will get angry. This is how life is, the author pulls no punches in this novel. The best news yet is the fact that there is a sequel! Thank you for an awesome book, Ronald L. Donaghe!

Honest and needed!

This book will upset people whose childhood included rejection by their parents or their classmates. It will upset people who think everyone should look, think, and act alike. It will even upset people who know the satisfaction of treating everyone with dignity and respect. In other words, this book will disturb countless readers. Why? Because Ronald Donaghe offers such an honest and detailed look at two boys who fall in love with each other in a staunchly anti-gay New Mexico town.Despite the novel's many portrayals of negative and even violent responses to the love between Tom and Joel, Donaghe delivers an ultimately inspiring tale of how two people can overcome the obstacles that could deter their happiness and honesty. This book can give hope to the many gays who still fear being themselves, and it can give hope to the many older gays who worry that their young counterparts will always face nothing but hatred and violence. But its appeal isn't limited to gays; nongays might read it to understand people who are different from themselves, or just because they like reading a well-written and exciting novel.