Customs of the Country

by Rupert Thomas

The year is 1924. James Cardell has just left school and is preparing for Oxford. However, before the strict routine of university life begins, he is allowed to spend the summer holidays with his cousins in a tiny village in the Kent countryside. There he can pursue his frowned-upon love for painting, and begin to explore his secret obsession with the male physique. Through his cousin's guidance and the mysterious activities of the village lads, James comes to discover the pleasures of his forbidden impulses. There is one boy in particular whom he longs to possess - the beautiful, muscular Gabriel. Before long, they both find themselves entwined within a web of youthful folly and dark erotic initiation.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998