No Irish Need Apply [Kindle Edition]

Edward C. Patterson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Patterson has created an incredible story by linking it with prejudices that happened earlier in the century . . . a must read for anyone who doesn't understand how bigotry can effect people. --Rainbow Reviews

Product Description

Kevin Borden has a secret, and that secret is about to shake the world around him - a tame and suburban world ruled by his widowed mother, Sarah and peppered by his study-mate, Louis. Teenagers sometimes do the darndest things, but in Kevin and Louis' case, it's a stroke of wisdom wrapped in fool's gold. In a time not so long ago, in the days of JIM CROW and NO IRISH NEED APPLY signage, the world made hate clear to those regarded as the fringe. "Stay away." To those who know no better - or perhaps know best, such lines are only meant to be crossed, or why else would they be drawn.

No Irish Need Apply is dedicated to PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), an organization that has guided many youth across that line into the loving arms of those listening to their hearts; those shattering those hateful Jim Crow signs. Come visit with the Bordens and the Lonnegans as they take that journey across the line.

Revised for 2010.

Winner of the Red Adept Annual Indie Award (2010)
Selected as 2009 June Book of the Month by Booz Allen Hamilton's Diversity Reading Group.

Review from Rainbow Reviews:

"No Irish Need Apply by Edward C. Patterson is light homoerotic contemporary romance.

Kevin and Louis may know what prejudice feels like, but otherwise their childhoods are vastly different. Kevin has always gotten along fine at school where as Louis has always been treated with disdain and thought of as gay. They saw each other at school, but never really met until Louis is assigned as Kevin’s study partner. Louis has always known that he is different and he hopes that Kevin is that way too. Kevin has always done what is expected until he meets Louis and begins to have strange feelings for Louis.

As Kevin begins to explore these feelings, they both realize that slogan No Irish Need Apply relates to their situation more than they care for. Neither Louis or Kevin are truly out of the closet about how they feel for one another or their sexuality. Will they find the strength of will to acknowledge their feelings out in the open or will they like many people be doomed to deny their true selves?

Mr. Patterson has created an incredible story by linking it with prejudices that happened earlier in the century. By using this analogy that many understand from their study of history, it allows the reader to see how modern day prejudice effects people in the same manner it did years ago. I think that Kevin and Louis were very brave to stand up for themselves and in doing so they may have helped other young people in their same situation. I find this story very compelling and a must read for anyone who doesn’t understand how bigotry can effect people. I will be looking for other stories by Mr. Patterson."

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 314 KB
• Print Length: 126 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1434893952
• Publisher: CreateSpace; 1 edition (January 5, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0012NOW44
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,644 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #41 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Coming Out

More About the Author

Edward C. Patterson has been writing novels, short fiction, poetry and drama his entire life, always seeking the emotional core of any story he tells. With his eighth novel, The Jade Owl, he combines an imaginative touch with his life long devotion to China and its history. He has earned an MA in Chinese History from Brooklyn College with further post graduate work at Columbia University. Born in 1947, a native of Brooklyn, NY, he has spent four decades as a soldier in the corporate world gaining insight into the human condition. He won the 1999 New Jersey Minority Achievement Award for his work in corporate diversity. Blending world travel experiences with a passion for story telling, his adventures continue as he works to permeate his reader's souls from an indelible wellspring.

His novel No Irish Need Apply was named Book of the Month for June 2009 by Booz Allen Hamilton's Diversity Reading Organization. His Novel The Jade Owl was a finalist for The 2009 Rainbow Awards.

The 18 published books by Edward C. Patterson include No Irish Need Apply, Bobby's Trace, Cutting the Cheese, Surviving an American Gulag, Turning Idolater, Look Away Silence, The Jade Owl (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book I), The Third Peregrination (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book II), The Dragon's Pool (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book III), The People's Treasure (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book IV), Southern Swallow Series (Book I - The Academician, Book II - The Nan Tu, Book III - Swan Cloud), Oh, Dainty Triolet, The Road to Grafenwöhr, Come, Wewoka, The Closet Clandestine and Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditonal Publisher?

Coming soon: Southern Swallow Series (Book IV - The House of Green Waters and Book V - Vagrants Hollow), In the Shadow of Her Hem (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book V), Pacific Crimson - Forget Me Not, Belmundus, A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon and Other Ravings from the Blogosphere, Dearest Flower of My Heart - Mail Call from Two Generations and Green Folly.

Edward C. Patterson is the proud founder of Operation eBook Drop, a member of Kindleboards, Publetariat, The Independant Author's Guild, The Gay & lesbian Writers and Readers Group. He is a Veteran, US Army 1966-68 and a member of Veteran's Historic Archive Roundtable (Lehigh Valley). He has guest blogged extensively and has appeared on the Bobby Ozuna - Soul of Humanity Show.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Past Revisited, May 2, 2008

By 

Timothy Mulder (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: No Irish Need Apply (Kindle Edition)

Foregoing a full plot synopsis (see other reviews), I'll focus instead on why this book stands out for me.
As a reader, I am primarily concerned with my connection to the characters. Mr. Patterson's ability to fully flesh out his cast is a truly rare and talented gift. I was immediately taken in by all his characters, at all times believing in and caring about their situations.
The challenge of writing from the perspective of an age you are well past - in this case, two teenagers - is not easily accomplished. Yet Mr. Patterson masterfully engages the reader at a level that borders on deja-vu. Louis' and Kevin's exploits as young, gay men, coming to terms with their sexuality and senses of self worth, took me right back to my own experiences in high school.
Being gay made this 'visit to the past' uniquely poignant, but being an 'outsider' is a universal feeling that all young people share. Anyone who feels singled out, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, will be able to identify with and benefit from this book. I'll be passing it on to my pre-teen niece, and heartily recommend it to everyone.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Prose with Both Depth and Substance, April 26, 2009

By 

Gregory Bernard Banks ", author" (Atlanta area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: No Irish Need Apply (Paperback)

It's not often these days that you come across writing that possesses both the literary beauty of a classic poem with the depth and substance of a contemporary tale. A story may be gritty and real, with writing that reflects the coarseness of the environment in which the characters live, or you have prose that weaves a magical spell with beautiful turns of phrase, but once you're done reading it leaves you with little to chew on after the fact. But "No Irish Need Apply" by Edward C. Patterson contains both substance and style, a contemporary tale with told with the poetic beauty of the literary classics of the past.

"No Irish Need Apply," a reference to the times when Irish immigrants were discriminated against, blatantly reflected by signs posted outside many establishments letting it be known that if you were Irish, then you shouldn't bother coming inside, is a story of love, a forbidden love in many circles, because it's the love story for two teen boys. For many, the subject may be controversial, even considered a topic as forbidden as the incidents it portrays. But in the hands (or should I say pen?) of Mr. Patterson, the story is told with compassion and grace. The tale of these teens as they come to recognize, and eventually accept, their growing love for one another is one which transcends the stigmas and prejudices surrounding homosexuality. It's a story that lives and breathes, takes you inside the minds of two young men dealing with issues that pretty much every human being should be able to identify with. "No Irish Need Apply" isn't a preachy tale, nor a rant against the establishment that denies same-sex relationships equal protection under the law. It's simply a story about teenage angst and love, and of two people trying to find themselves as they discover each other. If the world is lucky, stories like this one that will kick down the walls of prejudice and the misguided applications of morality that still plagues our world, and in doing so bring better understanding and acceptance to us all.

"No Irish Need Apply" isn't just a must read in my opinion, it should be required reading for everyone. Do yourself a favor and read it today.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author of "2012: Seeking Closure"

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-warming and Heart-breaking in Equal Measure, August 20, 2008

By 

R. G. Banks "The Gemstar" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Irish Need Apply (Paperback)

"No Irish Need Apply" is a wonderful book, bittersweet and charmingly told. On one hand it's simply a tale of first love between two young boys (Kevin and Louis) who are only just learning to come to terms with their sexuality in a town full of gossip-mongering and intolerance. And yet, through the use of clever analogy and elegant prose, Mr Patterson manages to convey powerful messages about prejudice and understanding.

All the characters peopling this short novel are well-written and realistically portrayed. The reader gets a sense of the boys' distinct personalities and their differing reactions when faced with similar circumstances. I became especially fond of "Mrs B" whose character probably evolves more than any other throughout the story. Her tender and somewhat humorous relationship with Louis is one of the highlights of the book in my opinion.

The plot moves along at a fast clip and at times packs an unexpected emotional punch. I have to admit there were some moments towards the end of the book when I was reduced to a quivering wreck! My five-star rating speaks for itself.