What do you think?
Rate this book
Comfort Me
Three friends must learn to balance honesty and loyalty, sexual longing and selfless love, and face the truth about themselves and each other as they take comfort in the bonds of true friendship.
286 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2008
About the author
Louis Flint Ceci
10 books20 followersLouis Flint Ceci’s poetry has been published in Colorado North Review and read on air as part of PRI's Living on Earth. His short stories and essays have appeared in Diseased Pariah News, Trikone, Jonathan, and the anthologies Queer and Catholic and Gay City Volume 4: At Second Glance. His first novel, Comfort Me, was published in 2009. He is a former high school speech and English teacher, and a former college professor of Journalism and Mass Communications. An avid swimmer, he has competed in the past four Gay Games, two FINA world championships, and several IGLA swim meets. He won the Gold Medal in the Poetic Justice poetry slam at the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 17, 2009
Quilting: Stitching Together Lives in Oklahoma
Louis Flint Ceci is a quiet author, a writer who understands and appreciates the skills of humming a tune before he sings it, of setting an atmosphere slowly and gently before he ignites his story, and who appreciates the opportunity that writing fiction provides for making important philosophical statements without beating the reader over the head. Described in this book's back pages as an author, educator, software engineer, swimmer, actor and more, with this novel COMFORT ME he proves to be a talent very worthy of attention.
In Croy, Oklahoma, a very small town populated with families both intact and strained or broken, Ceci slowly introduces a group of high school kids whose behavior is very much related to the general social patterns that stretch across the Midwest to both coasts. If he loses his readers with his too long lingering over football games and sports chatter, he gradually brings them back into the fold as the stereotypes become individuals, each with special need and histories and problems and struggles that face all youth at this age. Red is a football hero whose sports activities are mirrored by Randy - both boys coming from families of different problems. Mally (or Malachi) is a newcomer, a somewhat frail lad who returns to Croy after having been absent for 15 years with his mother who left Croy under questionable circumstances: Mally returns to care for his aging grandfather Reverend Jacobs who lives meagerly under the watchful eye of a cranky old Mrs. Oldfield. Girls gradually are introduced to the story - Candy is a 'looker' much desired by Red and Randy, Joanie is a straightforward girl whose father is the local pharmacist - and the manner in which each is worked into the congregation of characters in many ways provides the crisis of the story. Mally doesn't 'fit in' and the delicate manner in which the author introduces his sexual orientation is a masterpiece of understatement. Incidents begin to occur, incidents that slowly yet relentlessly uncover long hidden secrets about all of the townsfolk. The glue that holds the story together is the extraordinary friendship and bond that forms among Randy, Joanie, and Mally, a bond that allows each of the three to blossom into the beings they truly are while serving as strengths for the healing of the many old problems that have disturbed the folk of Croy, Oklahoma. It is a story that could fall into the 'out of the mouth of babes' category: the mother of one of the triad states 'Kids. We think we're protecting them, and all the time they're protecting us.' And from another of the adults 'So when I see that glow of happiness, that wonder in their eyes, I want to rush tight up and build a wall around it, hide it away form the world, because the world will try to tear it from them, turn it rotten.'
What Louis Flint Ceci manages to bring to the quilting table in this atmospheric, genuinely tender story is not only a cast of people we learn to love and understand, but also topics of sexual identity played out in such a knowing detail that the bruises other writers bring to the topic pale in comparison, of the Catholic Church and religion in general, and the of the fragility of the family unit assaulted by rumors and truths that sound so familiar that they resemble our neighbors and ourselves. This is a tale about the strength of the human spirit challenged by painful histories and unspoken truths and the powerful glue of friendships that allow us each to survive. COMFORT ME is a book so well written that it can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys fine story telling, and should be read by teenagers who are encountering the fragility of approaching meaningful adult lives. Highly recommended.
Grady Harp
Louis Flint Ceci is a quiet author, a writer who understands and appreciates the skills of humming a tune before he sings it, of setting an atmosphere slowly and gently before he ignites his story, and who appreciates the opportunity that writing fiction provides for making important philosophical statements without beating the reader over the head. Described in this book's back pages as an author, educator, software engineer, swimmer, actor and more, with this novel COMFORT ME he proves to be a talent very worthy of attention.
In Croy, Oklahoma, a very small town populated with families both intact and strained or broken, Ceci slowly introduces a group of high school kids whose behavior is very much related to the general social patterns that stretch across the Midwest to both coasts. If he loses his readers with his too long lingering over football games and sports chatter, he gradually brings them back into the fold as the stereotypes become individuals, each with special need and histories and problems and struggles that face all youth at this age. Red is a football hero whose sports activities are mirrored by Randy - both boys coming from families of different problems. Mally (or Malachi) is a newcomer, a somewhat frail lad who returns to Croy after having been absent for 15 years with his mother who left Croy under questionable circumstances: Mally returns to care for his aging grandfather Reverend Jacobs who lives meagerly under the watchful eye of a cranky old Mrs. Oldfield. Girls gradually are introduced to the story - Candy is a 'looker' much desired by Red and Randy, Joanie is a straightforward girl whose father is the local pharmacist - and the manner in which each is worked into the congregation of characters in many ways provides the crisis of the story. Mally doesn't 'fit in' and the delicate manner in which the author introduces his sexual orientation is a masterpiece of understatement. Incidents begin to occur, incidents that slowly yet relentlessly uncover long hidden secrets about all of the townsfolk. The glue that holds the story together is the extraordinary friendship and bond that forms among Randy, Joanie, and Mally, a bond that allows each of the three to blossom into the beings they truly are while serving as strengths for the healing of the many old problems that have disturbed the folk of Croy, Oklahoma. It is a story that could fall into the 'out of the mouth of babes' category: the mother of one of the triad states 'Kids. We think we're protecting them, and all the time they're protecting us.' And from another of the adults 'So when I see that glow of happiness, that wonder in their eyes, I want to rush tight up and build a wall around it, hide it away form the world, because the world will try to tear it from them, turn it rotten.'
What Louis Flint Ceci manages to bring to the quilting table in this atmospheric, genuinely tender story is not only a cast of people we learn to love and understand, but also topics of sexual identity played out in such a knowing detail that the bruises other writers bring to the topic pale in comparison, of the Catholic Church and religion in general, and the of the fragility of the family unit assaulted by rumors and truths that sound so familiar that they resemble our neighbors and ourselves. This is a tale about the strength of the human spirit challenged by painful histories and unspoken truths and the powerful glue of friendships that allow us each to survive. COMFORT ME is a book so well written that it can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys fine story telling, and should be read by teenagers who are encountering the fragility of approaching meaningful adult lives. Highly recommended.
Grady Harp
April 12, 2009
Well-written narrative of a high-school aged guy who moves to a small town which his mother had left when he was a young child. He's nerdy and a closeted gay, but eventually manages to make friends. It's quiet and understated - I'm a little unclear on when it's set, but it doesn't have a very contemporary feel. I don't know that it would appeal much to the youth of today. I was expecting the gay themes to be more prominent, but it's actually also pretty understated, not really the major theme of the book. The theme is more along the lines of how everyone has secrets and shames, and that things only get resolved by being honest about them.
February 14, 2010
This is a complex and moving story about three friends and their struggles with family, friends, maturity and sexuality as they grow up. Over the course of a year, these three unlikely friends discover the bonds of friendship can be deeper than family and more lasting than blood. There are a lot of issues and themes dealt with in this book and it’s not a romance or a fantasy. It’s an honest and utterly raw look at small town life with its prejudices and benefits told through the eyes of three young adults as they come to terms with themselves and their lives.
Mally Jacobs has been an outsider all his life. Foisted onto an aging, judgmental aunt with a deeply religious background, Mally struggled to fit in amongst a catholic school where his absent mother’s refusal to let him partake in common activities and religious practices branded him as different from the start. When Mally’s neighbor and only friend is exposed as a homosexual, he is quickly shipped off to help his aging grandfather to “keep him out of trouble”. Yet a new school and different set of people only confirm Mally’s social ineptitude and further expose him to high school pranks and torments. His deeply intellectual mind and charming goofiness are well hidden against a tough exterior honed to survive the rigors of growing up as different. His struggle to understand and accept himself is heart warming.
Randy is a high school jock, excelling at football and track and keeping with a small group of friends who typify the sports attitude of semi-popular high school kids while picking on those less talented and outgoing. Randy however is far from a stereotype and is as complicated and thoroughly developed as Mally. Randy suffers from an unhappy home life with a disaffected and withdrawn mother and absentee father. He lives next door to Mally in what’s known as the “white trash” part of town, yet the moniker doesn’t come close to describing either young man. Randy has hidden depth with his slow growing love of poetry and unwitting kinship with the shy and awkward Mally. His attachment to the unlikely object of his affection rather than the popular pretty girl is a lovely look at first love.
Joanie is the daughter of a well to do pharmacist with a quirky and mostly well-adjusted family. She’s highly intelligent and curious with a fiery personality willing to stand up for what she believes in but has her own doubts and blind spots as well. Her insistence on a friendship with Mally brings the two boys together, just as her romantic feelings for Randy cement their relationship. Joanie is not without her own problems as she struggles with town gossip about her father’s affair with a high school cheerleader and her anger towards her friends and her family. Her sensitivity and compassion shine through in her actions just like her quick wit and fiercely loyal personality.
A well-rounded cast of secondary characters shows an amazing depth and complexity where each one is neither wholly good nor wholly evil but shows shades of gray throughout. From Randy’s mother and Mrs. Oldfield all the way to Joanie’s delightful and scene stealing younger brother, the author has imbued life and vitality to every character that graces the pages of the story. Difficult choices and human error are evidenced in each person as they all struggle with the reality of their life, the dreams of what can be or might have been, and the affects their actions and non-actions have on others.
The friendship between these three is the real cornerstone of the story as it evolves and changes with the problems and struggles each character has to go through. Randy and Joanie’s acceptance of Mally and his feelings for Randy is a truly poignant moment and typifies the core of their complex and intertwining relationships with each other. This was but one of many scenes within the book showing the hope for progress amidst common attitudes and prejudices without preaching or introducing an unbelievable utopia. With a raw honesty, the author shows how everyone is affected by the actions of others and nothing in life is ever easy. With equal attention paid to the positive aspects of the characters and their personalities and the negative behaviors they indulge in, this story is a powerful and genuine glimpse into the life of everyday people. The power of the book comes not only from the tight writing but also from the commonplace tale. Nothing happens to anyone that is out of the ordinary from any small town in the country.
The only negative aspect I found in the book is the formatting, which unfortunately was enough that I almost didn’t read the book – to my detriment. The poor formatting and/or editing is distracting from the solid story as sentences are occasionally confusing, point of view changes are abrupt and jarring, and there is a complete lack of punctuation. The lack of apostrophes and quotations marks confuses dialogue with inner monologue in combination with misplaced sentences. Once I understood the flow of the book and overlooked the grammar problems, the story gripped me from the opening scene to the last. But it did take no little effort to get beyond it.
The truly complex and three-dimensional characters make this a fabulous book and when combined with a moving, poignant, and well-written plot, this book is a must reads for fans of literature. The entire cast of characters is relatable and likable, even for their faults, and the topics presented timeless. The lack of proper editing is an unfortunate aspect for a book that is worthwhile reading. For those that can get past such issues, I highly recommend this story.
Mally Jacobs has been an outsider all his life. Foisted onto an aging, judgmental aunt with a deeply religious background, Mally struggled to fit in amongst a catholic school where his absent mother’s refusal to let him partake in common activities and religious practices branded him as different from the start. When Mally’s neighbor and only friend is exposed as a homosexual, he is quickly shipped off to help his aging grandfather to “keep him out of trouble”. Yet a new school and different set of people only confirm Mally’s social ineptitude and further expose him to high school pranks and torments. His deeply intellectual mind and charming goofiness are well hidden against a tough exterior honed to survive the rigors of growing up as different. His struggle to understand and accept himself is heart warming.
Randy is a high school jock, excelling at football and track and keeping with a small group of friends who typify the sports attitude of semi-popular high school kids while picking on those less talented and outgoing. Randy however is far from a stereotype and is as complicated and thoroughly developed as Mally. Randy suffers from an unhappy home life with a disaffected and withdrawn mother and absentee father. He lives next door to Mally in what’s known as the “white trash” part of town, yet the moniker doesn’t come close to describing either young man. Randy has hidden depth with his slow growing love of poetry and unwitting kinship with the shy and awkward Mally. His attachment to the unlikely object of his affection rather than the popular pretty girl is a lovely look at first love.
Joanie is the daughter of a well to do pharmacist with a quirky and mostly well-adjusted family. She’s highly intelligent and curious with a fiery personality willing to stand up for what she believes in but has her own doubts and blind spots as well. Her insistence on a friendship with Mally brings the two boys together, just as her romantic feelings for Randy cement their relationship. Joanie is not without her own problems as she struggles with town gossip about her father’s affair with a high school cheerleader and her anger towards her friends and her family. Her sensitivity and compassion shine through in her actions just like her quick wit and fiercely loyal personality.
A well-rounded cast of secondary characters shows an amazing depth and complexity where each one is neither wholly good nor wholly evil but shows shades of gray throughout. From Randy’s mother and Mrs. Oldfield all the way to Joanie’s delightful and scene stealing younger brother, the author has imbued life and vitality to every character that graces the pages of the story. Difficult choices and human error are evidenced in each person as they all struggle with the reality of their life, the dreams of what can be or might have been, and the affects their actions and non-actions have on others.
The friendship between these three is the real cornerstone of the story as it evolves and changes with the problems and struggles each character has to go through. Randy and Joanie’s acceptance of Mally and his feelings for Randy is a truly poignant moment and typifies the core of their complex and intertwining relationships with each other. This was but one of many scenes within the book showing the hope for progress amidst common attitudes and prejudices without preaching or introducing an unbelievable utopia. With a raw honesty, the author shows how everyone is affected by the actions of others and nothing in life is ever easy. With equal attention paid to the positive aspects of the characters and their personalities and the negative behaviors they indulge in, this story is a powerful and genuine glimpse into the life of everyday people. The power of the book comes not only from the tight writing but also from the commonplace tale. Nothing happens to anyone that is out of the ordinary from any small town in the country.
The only negative aspect I found in the book is the formatting, which unfortunately was enough that I almost didn’t read the book – to my detriment. The poor formatting and/or editing is distracting from the solid story as sentences are occasionally confusing, point of view changes are abrupt and jarring, and there is a complete lack of punctuation. The lack of apostrophes and quotations marks confuses dialogue with inner monologue in combination with misplaced sentences. Once I understood the flow of the book and overlooked the grammar problems, the story gripped me from the opening scene to the last. But it did take no little effort to get beyond it.
The truly complex and three-dimensional characters make this a fabulous book and when combined with a moving, poignant, and well-written plot, this book is a must reads for fans of literature. The entire cast of characters is relatable and likable, even for their faults, and the topics presented timeless. The lack of proper editing is an unfortunate aspect for a book that is worthwhile reading. For those that can get past such issues, I highly recommend this story.
November 15, 2010
Solid YA story. Good characters, especially Mally & Randy. My only issue is that the time frame was vague so it seemed old-fashioned...but not quite enough to be absolutely sure when it took place. The "Dark Shadows" reference at the very end finally confirmed the mid 1960s setting & it would've helped to know that from the beginning. Otherwise, I'd love to see all of them 5-10 years in their future.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews