The Tin Box

This is a contemporary romance, but there's a historical element, too. While struggling to accept himself as a gay man, William discovers the tragic story of a gay man who was imprisoned at a mental hospital during the Great Depression.

I'm not really sure how I feel about people writing and reading tragic stories about groups they don't belong to. I have thought about it a lot, and I haven't come to a conclusion. I do feel that this author handled these serious topics with sensitivity and care; she approaches everything she writes that way, which is why I read her books.

The narrative directly contrasts Bill's devastatingly sad story with the hope and peace that William and Colby find together. Bill came alive for me in his letters; he did not feel like an example of a gay man who suffered, but like an actual person. But it was his suffering that influenced William to take charge of his own life, so he sort of was an example. I sobbed through the epilogue, because I was thinking of all the real people who have lived lives just like his. I do think the book addressed this terrible history respectfully, though. It isn't trauma tourism.

I liked Colby and William's romance a lot. There are not a lot of m/m romance novels with flamboyantly gay characters like Colby, and I like reading about those kinds of characters. I think this aspect of his personality worked really well in the story, too, since it drove home the facts that he was comfortable with himself, and that everyone in his small town accepted him as he was. There are lots of nice domestic moments, as Colby and William become friends and then lovers. I also liked that their happy ending was very solid, maybe the most detailed I've seen from this author. It would've been an unbelievable downer if Colby and William's story had ended up in the air, since Bill's story ended so sadly.

This book has not one but two gay danceclub scenes, which are kind of a pet peeve of mine, but they fit into the story naturally. And the book was published in 2013, maybe before these scenes became massive cliches, so that's alright. I did think the pacing of the romance was a little off. Some of Colby's indecision felt like a little too much.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by KC Kelly, and he did a great job. He's very casual, which suited this story.