Mother's Boy

Laura, a laundress in Teignmouth, meets her young husband when they both serve in a grand household in 1914. Their brief, tender love affair leads to the birth of Charles. However, their happiness is short-lived as her husband returns from the war, physically and emotionally scarred, and succumbs to tuberculosis, leaving Laura a widow.

As Europe stands on the edge of another catastrophic war, young Charles enlists in the navy as a coder. The transition from the claustrophobic environment of Launceston to the vast, uncharted waters of the navy life offers Charles an emotional and personal awakening. Amidst the chaos and dangers of wartime, he discovers the thrilling yet terrifying aspects of love, which is as perilous and secretive as his wartime responsibilities.

Patrick Gale, with his characteristic sensitivity and depth, crafts a rich narrative that delves into the intricate dynamics between mother and son. The story is a testament to the trials and transformations that define relationships amidst the uncertainties of life and war.

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As a new war looms, Charles signs up for the navy as a coder. His escape from the tight, gossipy confines of Launceston to a more colourful life in action sees him blossom, as he experiences the possibility of death, and the excitement - even terror - of a love that is as clandestine as his work.

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'Stands with the best queer literary fiction of a historical bent, illuminated as it is by Gale's devilish wit and talent for both social observation and intricacies of character' Sydney Morning Herald

'A wonderful novel - a touching, utterly convincing portrait of the nascent artist' Mail on Sunday

'A deeply moving novel. The portrait of a complex relationship that constricted as much as it sustained is brilliantly done' The Tablet