All the Beauty of the Sun

Description

Soho 1925 Two young men meet - for one of them this is love at first sight, for the other only lust and guilt...In 1925 Paul Harris returns to England from self-imposed exile in Tangiers for an exhibition of his paintings. He leaves behind Patrick, the man he has loved since they met in the trenches in 1918, needing to discover if he has the strength to live without him and wanting to explore the kind of life he might have lived had it not been for the war. In Bohemian Soho, Paul meets Edmund whose passionate love changes Paul's idea of himself. With Edmund, Paul begins to believe that he may have another life to live, free of the guilt and regrets of the past. But the past is not so easy to escape, and when Patrick follows Paul to London a decision must be made that will affect all their lives.

Marion Husband is a compassionate and compelling writer exploring the complexities of human nature with great empathy. Her debut novel The Boy I Love, the first in the three part The Boy I Love Trilogy, won the Andrea Badenoch Fiction Award and The Blackwell Prize. Her other novels include The Good Father and Say You Love Me. She is married with two grown-up children and teaches creative writing.

"The story is well researched and has lots of detail and emotion. It moves on at a cracking pace and keeps the reader's interest so much that it could easily be read in one or two sessions." -- Barbara Goldie Historical Review Society A superbly written book, this is a poignant and very readable novel. The rich, colourful and complex characters bring this story of homosexuality in post-First World War Britain to life. It is the second in a trilogy, the first being The Boy I Love and the third Paper Moon. The story is well researched and has lots of detail and emotion. It moves on at a cracking pace and keeps the reader's interest so much that it could easily be read in one or two sessions. The themes are dealt with sensitively, and plotlines are juggled well. The story of Paul Harris develops as he returns from Tangiers, where he has been living with Patrick, his sergeant in the war. Unsure whether he has made the correct decision, he has returned to London to show his paintings in an art gallery. He is an ex-convict and, if his homosexuality is exposed, he will be in danger. Other characters interweave with Paul: Edmund, whom he is drawn to; Lawrence, the gallery owner; Ann, the artist's model; Matthew, with his many years in hospital; and Joseph, who is a love rival for Ann. With beautifully written multiple narratives, the characters deal with their changed lives in the years after the First World War. Twists and turns along the way make the book a compelling read. It keeps its reader's attention and is difficult to put down once started: an excellent book which does not shy away from the realities of life. Although it is part of a trilogy, it reads just as well as a standalone novel and will have the reader searching out the other two books. -- Lucienne Boyce Historical Novel Society