Two gay men with a lifetime of secrets face their insular, homophobic island's rancour.
Growing up in neighbouring villages on the tiny island nation of St. Vincent, teenage best friends Gordon and Allen are secret lovers until they are forced apart their community's traditional expectations and their fear of how others will react. They each complete their university studies abroad, encountering worlds where there is less hostility toward LGBTQ+ people. Tempted to stay, both men ultimately return home, hiding who they are.
Their secret lives come at the expense of others, and Gordon's wife, Maureen, is the first to be irreparably harmed. She has confided her secrets to an accusatory journal, and it is now up to Gordon to keep it from the local media and the unforgiving eyes of the authorities. If the truth is revealed, he and Allan will be the next victims.
Industry Reviews
In this powerful novel, H. Nigel Thomas reminds us that shame is an outcome of an intolerant society, but friendship, forgiveness, and ultimately, love are choices that each of us has the power to make. A Different Hurricane, with its examination of love between mature black gay and bisexual men, is reminiscent of James Baldwin's masterpiece Just Above My Head and Bernadine Evaristo's Mr. Loverman. * Charles I. Nero, Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies and Africana *
In Caribbean society, where homosexuality is often seen as a secret vice, this is a story of unflinching loyalty and genuine love. For years, Gordon has struggled to fulfill the role of husband and father, all the while longing to face society honestly. In this threatening atmosphere, instead the denouement offers a revelation of courage and lucid humanism. * Judith Elaine Cowan, author of The Permanent Nature of Everything *
H. Nigel Thomas guides us to the tempest's deceptively calm eye, where each soul is revealed in subtle shades of light and dark and the faintest whispers of their human spirit heard. * Clayton Bailey, author of Optiques *
While Caribbean queerness always looks and feels different to its Western counterparts, H. Nigel Thomas opens up once again the always emerging Caribbean-Canadian novel to his signature LGBTQ themes of community, family, spirituality and diaspora. A Different Hurricane's significant departure in queer Caribbean writing lies in its exploration of queer aging with HIV/AIDS. Told from multiple points of view, A Different Hurricane offers a portrait of a queer protagonist - husband, father, friend, lover - never before seen in the pages of our literature. * Faizal Deen, author of Land Without Chocolate *
