Play Book Tag discussion

Cyril was adopted shortly after his birth by Charles and Maude Avery although why they actually wanted a child was never evident. He was constantly reminded that he was not a 'real' Avery and that he could only refer to his parents by their given names and as his adoptive mother and father. Unsurprisingly he grew up shy and introverted always in the shadow of his rich banker father and well-known author mother. When Cyril was 7 years old he set eyes on Julian Woodbead and his life was forever changed. Even at that tender age Cyril knew that his affections would always lie with males.

Through the years Cyril hid his desires from Julian and his family relying on casual acquaintances and one-night stands for his pleasure. Hoping to turn his life around Cyril agreed to marry Julian's beautiful younger sister Alice which led to a devastating confrontation between the two men that tore their friendship apart. Leaving all he loved behind, Cyril moved on with his life finding love, rejection, heartbreak and finally, himself.

It is difficult to review this breathtaking book and the life of the young Irish boy who grew up during the turbulent 40's and 50's. Cyril is a wonderful character and one that will capture your heart. There is so much more to the story than Cyril being a gay man in an unaccepting world. Definitely read this one.

Loved this one too! Lifetime Favorite!

This was very good on audio.

Lovely review Ellen, so much so you actually got me to add it to my shelf-no one else has been able to do that!

I always hear rave reviews for this one, and have almost read it quite a few times- the adoption storyline has me pausing every time.

This is on my tbr, and waiting patiently until... who knows when!

Add me to the list of fans - this is a wonderful book. Glad you enjoyed it!

I have owned this one for several years and kept putting it off because I didn't want to delve into a nearly 600 page book. I'm glad I finally read it; so good.

This one is in my all-time Top 10. Glad you got to it and enjoyed it!

Like many of you I have this on my TBR but have never read it. It consistently gets great reviews but it seems like such a sad story when I read the synopsis. Irish books do that to me. I still haven't recovered from Angela's Ashes and My Left Foot and I read those years ago. But Ellen's review and everyone's comments have me reconsidering the avoidance.

Great review Ellen. It's odd. I don't even remember this being a long book. It was easy to stick with.

Lynda, I'm not sure I'd put this in the same category as Angela's Ashes. Life wasn't as bleak for Cyril's family, but it was tough to be a gay man in Ireland. This book is so interesting, it's hard to remember the sad parts. He also lived in Amsterdam and New York. I felt sad for his mother, who literally got kicked out of town by a priest when she became pregnant.

But I'm feeling the same hesitation with one of his other books. I want to read A History of Loneliness, but when my # came up in the Queue, I put it on hold. I'm suddenly reluctant to start it, despite the great reviews.

I recently read my first Boyne book - A History of Loneliness
Oh. My. Stars.
Fabulous writing. Complex characters and complex situations. Adding all his books to my tbr.