Unstraight by John Thurlow

Unstraight, a debut novel by John Thurlow, published by Ninestar Press in August, is a heart-wrenching, and equally heart-warming, tale about an ordinary Chelmsford picket-fence family who is presented with a set of challenging circumstances.

David Sterling is a family man married for fourteen years and devoted to his beautiful wife and two daughters. The Sterlings are a happy suburban family living in the house of their dreams. All is, however, not what it seems. Behind the perfect picket-fence facade lies a significant secret; a burden that David has guarded since his teenage years, which he now needs to offload in order to survive. But by sharing it, he risks turning his life upside down and changing everything irrevocably, perhaps even losing all that is dear to him.

Thurlow writes effortlessly and with a sensitivity that could only be born from personal experience. His descriptions of life within a close-knit family unit and of the various relationships with extended family and friends are convincing and familiar. His cast is quirky and likeable, and the anecdotes endearing.

A first-person account, Unstraight takes the reader on a thoughtful meander that starts with David’s childhood in a typically conservative English town, continues into the turbulence of adolescence and student years, then working as a teacher in different countries, and finally getting married and settling down. The journey is punctuated by significant emotional encounters and interactions that would define his life and, in this case, emphasise the burden of his secret.

The novel reaffirms the importance of living one’s truth in order to enjoy a fulfilling and meaningful life. But for David, as is the case for many people, pretence becomes a way of life in a quest to fit in and be accepted.

The world has come a long way in four decades and, compared to when David was growing up, is now a much more tolerant place and has made room for people of all races, creeds and genders. People are now more comfortable living their truths with much less fear of prejudice and persecution. David’s story also emphasises the futility and harmful effects of holding on to guilt, and how important it is to release it, along with shame or fear.

In the pain and hurt of the aftermath, this deeply personal journey is driven by David’s desire to hold on to those he loves, while at the same time revealing who he really is to them and the world. In the end, it is his deep love and care for those whom he holds dear, that makes his story truly memorable.

Unstraight is an important novel that should be prescribed reading for anyone facing the same difficulties. In fact, it should be prescribed reading full stop.