From Publishers Weekly
The dexterous narrative of this well-told story juxtaposes a gay man's struggle with his sexuality against the struggle with the brutal landscape of the 18th-century American frontier. In 1797, John Chapman is a romantic, literate man who has set out to stake a claim in the wilds of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. What at first seems John's sole motivationAhe is fleeing the abuse of his alcoholic fatherAis only half the story: for he is also desperately trying to escape his irrepressibleAand feloniousAdesire for other men. A novice frontiersman, John is rescued from near starvation by a strapping Irishman who calls himself Daniel McQuay. Soon enough, Daniel and John become lovers, but when Daniel turns out to be a crazed rapist and murderer, John barely escapes with his life. With the love of a studly 17-year-old "Kentucky boy" named Palmer, and the counsel of Gwennie, an Indian woman who refers to herself as Apple Woman ("red on outside, but white on inside"), John makes a new start in a small village of settlers. McQuay, however, reappears to wreak more murderous havoc until John faces him in a tragic, spine-tingling climax. With new hope, John realizes, "I didn't deserve the scorn and calumny that had been heaped on me all of my life. What I deserved was what I'd felt with Palmer that night on top of the mountain." This is essentially a historical romance for gay readers, invigorated by hot sex scenes in bathtubs and amid thunderstorms. It's an appealing, well-researched tale, featuring a complicated and winsome hero who finds sexual fulfillment and a hard-won place for himself in a most unforgiving, and beautifully wrought, setting. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
The Advocate Equal parts romance novel and history lesson, carefully written and heaped with sex and violence.
Richard Labonte
Feminist Bookstore News [A] winner....A debut novel that's part Stephen King, part James Michener, part Jonathan Katz, and part Best Gay Erotica. Jensen has infused his unique story with a fascinating setting and crafted it with dialogue and descriptions that slip across the eye with velvet fonts....Fundamentally a love story, but one wrought with uncommon grace.
Publishers Weekly Invigorated by hot sex scenes in bathtubs and amid thunderstorms....An appealing, well-researched tale, featuring a complicated and winsome hero who finds sexual fulfillment and a hard-won place for himself in a most unforgiving, and beautifully wrought, setting.
New York Blade News Sleep didn't come as easily as I'd thought. Always enjoyable....a decidedly sweet affair, with a few curveballs thrown in.
The Bellingham Herald (WA) Extremely well-researched and well-written, packed full of the classic tension that makes for a real page-turner. It's not often that an author can lay claim to the creation of a new genre, but Michael Jensen might just be able to do so.
The Advocate Besides an entertaining read, this praiseworthy period piece provides one of the few enduring thrills in contemporary gay literature -- the erosion of the myth that American history was founded exclusively by heterosexuals.
Michelangelo Signorile author of
Life Outside A breathtaking novel of American cultural and sexual history. This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered what same-sex passion might have been like in the age of "romantic friendships."
Frontiers is exciting and absorbing.
Rebecca Brown author of
The Dogs and The Gifts of the Body With
Frontiers we may be witnessing the creation of a new genre. Michael Jensen's well-researched book brings to life a pivotal period in U.S. history. He writes with passion, wit, and a heart as big as the continent.
Walter Vatter A Different Light Bookstore Michael Jensen's
Frontiers has all the "bells and whistles" of a deluxe adventure story: a racing narrative, high drama, vivid images, keen dialogue, even hot sex!
Outlines A fascinating tale about a fascinating character. The best books leave the reader wanting more, and
Frontiers begs for a sequel.
