He: A remarkable tale of romance and resilience
by Larry Benjamin
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Pub Date Oct 11 2025 | Archive Date Mar 15 2026
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Description
I remembered black eyes and bruised ribs and hands heavy with prayer like fists raining down.
Preacher’s kid Jackson and orphaned Oren grow up in the same dusty, poor, bible-thumping farm town. When they meet at sixteen, they discover they have more in common than just their roots and brutal upbringing. Together, they begin to explore their orientation and their burgeoning love for each other. When they are threatened with consignment in conversion camp, they abruptly leave town together. Oren attends college, while Jackson learns a trade. In their new surroundings, they discover friends and a sense of safety for the first time.
Forty years later, when a shocking act of betrayal destroys their relationship, each is left wondering if there can be love after the apocalypse as they look back on a past they cannot change and a future they cannot predict.
When Oren reluctantly attends his fortieth high school reunion and reconnects with his high school crush, sparks unexpectedly fly.
A remarkable tale of romance and resilience, using the premise that orientation is simply a pattern of attraction, He explores what happens when that pattern is broken.
Told epistolary style through journal entries and Facebook messages, the book is divided into periods, each of which is denoted by a color, rather than traditional chapters.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781786456762 |
| PRICE | |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 6 members
Featured Reviews
Robert O, Educator
He: A Remarkable Tale of Romance and Resilience is an emotionally resonant LGBTQ+ romance that traces decades of love, adversity, and personal growth between two men whose connection defies expectation and circumstance. The story opens in a dusty, conservative farm town where Jackson, a preacher’s kid, and Oren, an orphan, discover not only shared hardships but a profound attraction that challenges the norms of their community. Their decision to leave town and build new lives together is both a literal and symbolic journey toward safety, acceptance, and identity.
Told in an epistolary style—through journal entries and social media messages—the novel’s structure adds intimacy and immediacy to the narrative, breaking the story into color‑coded periods that reflect the emotional shifts and passage of time.
Forty years later, a betrayal fractures their long‑term relationship, prompting reflections on whether love can endure beyond trauma and change. When a high school reunion brings an unexpected reconnection, the story explores memory, regret, and the enduring spark between former lovers.
Benjamin’s writing highlights resilience and the patterns of attraction that shape our lives. While some readers note modest ratings compared to his earlier work, the novel’s heartfelt portrayal of long‑term love and emotional complexity offers a thoughtful, poignant reading experience.
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