This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
When the sexual orientation of an eminent poet becomes the subject in fiction, you can expect it to spark a discussion. In The Wasteland, authors Harper H. Jameson and W.A.W. Parker give you T.S. Eliot up close, and bring out a fresh side of his persona in a thought-provoking plot which is sure to spark the interest of critics who have long since debated the poet’s true sexual orientation. The title is derived from Eliot’s famous 434-line poem, considered a central work of modernist poetry. In this homoerotic tale, Eliot is a bank clerk-cum-poet and paired with an openly homosexual man named Jack, who is unafraid to defy the conservative norms of the time. Eliot plays it safe by keeping his skeletons in his closet, yet at the same time worries that his homosexuality might take a toll on his career as a poet. Enter Vivienne, a vivacious, captivating woman who is drawn to Eliot. To keep up appearances, Eliot marries her for convenience, but sex is off the table as he finds more comfort in Jack’s arms.
Harper H. Jameson and W.A.W. Parker boldly combine facts and conjectures to bring to life a melodramatic story that rightfully earns its place in the canon of great LGBTQ fiction. It is similarly brimming with real-life intellectuals that further add dimension to the storyline. We have the British philosopher Bertrand Russell, whom Vivienne runs to in order to satisfy the void that Eliot could not fill. There is also Ezra Pound, who tries to talk some sense into Eliot about giving priority to poetry. The Wasteland is so intensely plotted that you get to feel how painful and awkward it is to hide your true self in a time where many are not yet open to the idea of homosexuality. The Wasteland is an impressive novel, where Jameson and Parker give a character study of real and complex literary genius. Some readers may not like the way Eliot is depicted here and might even think that he deserves to be projected in a different way, but the work deserves to be read for the sake of intelligent discussion.
