The Spring before Obergefell

A Novel

by Ben Grossberg

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Part of The James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel Series

Pub Date Oct 01 2024 | Archive Date Sep 30 2024

University of Nebraska Press

General Fiction (Adult) | LGBTQIAP+ | Literary Fiction

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Description

The James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, AWP Award Series Winner

It’s not easy for anyone to find love, let alone a middle-aged gay man in small-town America. Mike Breck works multiple part-time jobs and bickers constantly with his father, an angry conservative who moved in after Mike’s mother died. When he’s not working or avoiding his father, Mike burns time on hookup apps, not looking for anything more. Then he meets a local guy, Dave, just as lonely as he is, and starts to think that maybe he doesn’t have to be alone. Mike falls hard, and in a moment of intimacy, his pent-up hopes for a relationship rush out, leading him to look more honestly at himself and his future.

Winner of the James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, Ben Grossberg’s The Spring before Obergefell is about real guys who have real problems, yet still manage to find connection. Funny, serious, meditative, and hopeful, The Spring before Obergefell is a romance—but not a fairytale.

Advance Praise

“The world of this novel is patiently rendered with language that is direct, unadorned, yet full. The characters are presented with the kind of affection that is rare in much current literature. This is a love story and a growth story and a story about how the world changes and affects our self-definition, confidence, and place within it. The relationships are familiar but not cliché, surprising but not sensational. I love the honesty and openness of this novel.”—Percival Everett, author of James and Erasure

“What I loved about this first novel is Ben Grossberg’s nuanced and truthful depiction of his protagonist. Mike is a gay everyman, scraping by on jobs as a handyman and an adjunct professor as he wrestles with the inertia of middle age and looks for—he’s not sure what. Grossberg gives us a compelling and sympathetic character and is a novelist to watch.”—Wally Lamb, author of She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781496240347
PRICE	$21.95 (USD)
PAGES	244

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Additional Information

Average rating from 4 members

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Featured Reviews

Michael B, Reviewer

Mike is a middle-aged gay man living in a small town in the Midwest. And just with that small bit of information, I had a connection to this story.

He’s spent his life avoiding relationships and just existed on hookups. But he’s realizing that there’s more to life that he wants. He wants someone to spend the rest of his life with. But that’s not easy to find, especially in a small town.

To make matters more interesting, Mike’s father lives with him. The two kinda mix like oil and water at times, but having each other is a good thing.

I really loved following Mike on his journey to find love, and the struggles when he found resistance from the man that has caught his eye.

As I enter my middle-age years, I find so many aspects of this book relatable. It was a wonderful read, that gives me hope for my own future relationships.

This is definitely one you should read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

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Kimberly B, Librarian

I really enjoyed the realness of the characters in this book, both the main character and his father who are living in a small town outside of Dayton, Ohio. The main character is a gay man who is beginning to regret his lack of a long-term relationship, who is lonely, and who is also dealing with his elderly, grieving, Fox News loving father who lives with him. It is really a story about change, and the courage it takes to change yourself to find a better, happier way of living. It is also a bit of a romance but in a realistic way. I would recommend this book.

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sid s, Book Trade Professional

Getting real with oneself, getting real in the Midwest, getting real with family and with romance, especially later in life. Tough conversations happen in this story, and if they strike a reader as impossible, maybe they can serve as portals of possibility.

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Reviewer 677359

Special thanks to Netgalley and University of Nebraska Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*I did end up DNFing this book

I really could not get into this book, something about the writing style led to a lot of disconnect for me. I would like to try it again in the future, and will update this review if things change.