Another great review from Family and Friends Magazine
Novel intertwines homosexuality, religion
Reviewed by Anita Moyt, Managing Editor, Family and Friends Magazine, Memphis, Tennessee (July Issue)
Bait is the story of Jax, a musician by night and a temp legal secretary by day, and the lesbian, for sure. She is a lover and “sometimes” girlfriend of Lil. She is also a sister, a daughter, a friend, and, in the not too distant future, a sister-in-law.
Where the major conflict occurs, and continues throughout her life, is between her life as a lesbian, and her life within her family -- fundamentalist, evangelical and consumed by the fact that they all have to repent their way into heaven every day.
And here's where Bait is different from other lesbian stories. Jax is a lesbian and Christian, from an early age. She is secure in her salvation and relationship with her Maker. And she is secure in her life and content with being gay, oh so gay. But her family isn't and have a quest to bring her back into the heterosexual fold, complete with a husband and family. Yet Jax, raised in this churchy family, can battle Scripture with the best of them.
She loves her family, especially her “near-twin” younger brother, who is now almost 40 and still waiting on God's perfect match. So how does she balance the two worlds? More than that, how does she deal with the fact that her brother has met that perfect someone and the angels sang but Jax realizes all is not right. Jax knows that familiar feeling and those familiar looks, but why from Jenn, this wonderful, near-perfect-in-her-brother's-eyes, Christian woman?
The author, Lauren Stone, has weaved a wonderful tapestry in Bait. The scripture, which easily could have been offensive or dry, was well worked into the color scheme. Stone goes way beyond telling you a story, and brings you into the dining room, into the park, into Jax's world, where you, too, can see, hear, smell, touch and even taste what is going on. And, more than that, the needlework, the plot twists, are exceptional. You just don't see it coming, even to the last page.
Reviewed by Anita Moyt, Managing Editor, Family and Friends Magazine, Memphis, Tennessee (July Issue)
Bait is the story of Jax, a musician by night and a temp legal secretary by day, and the lesbian, for sure. She is a lover and “sometimes” girlfriend of Lil. She is also a sister, a daughter, a friend, and, in the not too distant future, a sister-in-law.
Where the major conflict occurs, and continues throughout her life, is between her life as a lesbian, and her life within her family -- fundamentalist, evangelical and consumed by the fact that they all have to repent their way into heaven every day.
And here's where Bait is different from other lesbian stories. Jax is a lesbian and Christian, from an early age. She is secure in her salvation and relationship with her Maker. And she is secure in her life and content with being gay, oh so gay. But her family isn't and have a quest to bring her back into the heterosexual fold, complete with a husband and family. Yet Jax, raised in this churchy family, can battle Scripture with the best of them.
She loves her family, especially her “near-twin” younger brother, who is now almost 40 and still waiting on God's perfect match. So how does she balance the two worlds? More than that, how does she deal with the fact that her brother has met that perfect someone and the angels sang but Jax realizes all is not right. Jax knows that familiar feeling and those familiar looks, but why from Jenn, this wonderful, near-perfect-in-her-brother's-eyes, Christian woman?
The author, Lauren Stone, has weaved a wonderful tapestry in Bait. The scripture, which easily could have been offensive or dry, was well worked into the color scheme. Stone goes way beyond telling you a story, and brings you into the dining room, into the park, into Jax's world, where you, too, can see, hear, smell, touch and even taste what is going on. And, more than that, the needlework, the plot twists, are exceptional. You just don't see it coming, even to the last page.
posted by Loren Stone | 12:33 PM
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