No Safeguards - (Essential Prose) by H Nigel Thomas (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

No Safeguards, the first in a trilogy, follows Jay and his brother Paul from childhood to young adulthood. We witness the destructive impact of fundamentalist Christian beliefs on their mother and father, opposition to those beliefs by the boys' grandmother and each boy's very different response to their parents' religiosity. This becomes even more poignant after they leave their grandmother's comfortable home in St. Vincent to join their mother in Montreal. The revelation that both boys are gay adds to their sense of oppression and divides them from their mother, whose views are shaped by the church and the theology of the Torah.

From the Back Cover

No Safeguards, the first book in a trilogy, follows Jay's life from age six to twenty-six - and to a lesser extent that of his brother Paul. We witness the destructive impact of fundamentalist Christian beliefs on his mother and father, opposition to those beliefs by the boys' grandmother and each boy's very different response to their parents' religiosity. This is especially poignant after they leave their grandmother's comfortable home in St Vincent to join their mother in Montreal. The revelation that both boys are gay adds to their sense of oppression and divides them from their mother, whose views on the subject are shaped by the church and the theology of the Torah.

Review Quotes

"Nigel Thomas' ... understanding of the many histories and their various impacts on literary characters reveals a profound knowledge of the human condition. A compelling, layered, and persuasive work." -- Rawi Hage

About the Author

H. Nigel Thomas was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and has been living in Montreal since 1968. He is the author of eight books, including three novels: Spirits in the Dark, shortlisted for the 1994 Quebec Writers' Federation Hugh MacLennan Fiction Award), Behind the Face of Winter, and Return to Arcadia.