Last Summer

by Michael Thomas Ford

Book Overview

After being betrayed by his lover, Josh Felling heads to the beaches of Provincetown where he encounters an unforgettable cast of characters including drag queen Emmeline, Hollywood heartthrob Ty Rusk, and wealthy Reilly Brennan.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0758204051
• ISBN13: 9780758204059
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A grand summer read!

I have read three of Michael Ford's books . . . and this is certinally the best. With a quick pace and smooth style this is a great beach or airplane read. The characters seem plucked from our lives and recent headlines. If your thinking about a vacation in P-Town take this book along for a grand read.

Haunting

LAST SUMMER is a wonderful view of life, as it perhaps is, and perhaps should be in the gay enclave of Provincetown. Josh is a man betrayed by his lover Doug, a betrayal that cuts to the heart of Josh's understanding of what it means to be gay and in a committed relationship. The realization of Doug's infidelity drives Josh out of their home and to Provincetown, where he is seeking some "quiet time" so he can reflect on the direction of the rest of his life. He takes temporary refuge in a B & B's un-used guesthouse, and there he encounters a man who fascinates. This fascination, combined with concurrent story lines involving and middle-aged lesbian, a drag diva "trannie", an innocent farm boy, several pairs of jaded lovers, and a closeted Hollywood couple, all contribute of an amusing and touching look at the many facets of gay American life. This is a very rewarding read and one that will stay with you long after you close the cover over the last page.

YES, MR. FORD IS THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!

In pains me to say it... There are a couple bumps you'll need to endure to thoroughly LOVE this book. You will find a handful of grammatical errors. But fear not, kids, fear not. These little "oop's" will not take one damn thing away from this captivating story, which is actually several stories all wrapped up into one neat package.The second bump is the seemingly unnecessary secondary characters. But don't you let your undies get all knotted up. If you stay strong, keep turning those pages, their presence, their purpose, will be explained. And you'll love MTF for adding each and every one of them.Last Summer is the story, er, um, stories of Josh, Reilly, Emmeline, Jackie, Toby, Ty, Reid, and a host of equally lovable and infuriating characters, spanning the course of one beyond memorable summer in Provincetown.Last Summer seems light and a bit too airy for the likes of the brilliantly funny Mr. Ford, but if you read close enough, pick up on the subtext, this story of love, self-realization and family will not disappoint. Oh... And the sometimes explicit sex will ensure that all your cylinders are, um, yeah, active. 8o)The ending is surprisingly unrealistic. But that's what makes Last Summer so believable. Each character experiences a great loss in the pursuit of obtaining that golden ring. And although MTF has thrown so many characters in the mix, you quickly began to feel that you know each and every one of them intimately. And you'll desire to know them intimately, and you'll find yourself wondering what happened to them once September hit. There was no skimping on character development. I swear on the life of my Robbie Williams CD's. Don't borrow this book from a friend. Don't check it out of your local library. Don't get yourself one of those nasty bootlegs from the internet. Put down the dough for this amazing novel. You won't regret a second of your investment.

The Next TALES OF THE CITY!

Finally, finally, finally someone has written a gay novel that's big, fun, sexy AND intelligent. I was curious to see what Ford's fiction would be like, and I'm pleased to say that it's a lot like his nonfiction. He combines spot-on humor with an insight into what it means to be gay that is unmatched in contemporary fiction. Best of all, these are characters that almost all of us can relate to. They aren't gym queens and circuit boys--they're real people dealing with real situations. This is the book I've been waiting for since finishing Armistead Maupin's TALES OF THEY CITY series.

Read This Book Now!

Coincidentally, I'm on vacation in Provincetown and picked this novel up the minute I saw it in the bookstore window. I spent all day reading it because I couldn't put it down. Never have I encountered such an enjoyable and unforgettable cast of characters, and never have I read a novel that could be laugh-out-loud funny one minute, reach-for-the-tissues poignant the next, and steam-up-the-windows sexy right after that. This book is so much fun I want to read it all over again immediately. Ford is an amazingly talented writer, and this book is THE summer read.