Stories of the Boy with the Yellow Socks

By J. Carter Swift

In this collection of stories, Jan Blixen tells of his life growing up gay in the Midwest. Fast-paced and intricately woven, Jan's stories are a concentration of emotional power, often heartwarming and heartbreaking in the span of a single page. With sensitivity and a teenager's ability to find humor even in disaster, Jan vividly portrays his characters. An escaped mental patient, living in a refrigerator box, gives Jan a priceless gift. Jan's best friend is a university professor accused of a terrible crime. Jan's homophobic pastor attempts an exorcism to save Jan's soul. Jan's father, a brutal man, loathes Jan as a practical joke God played on him. Each story brings new characters, and Jan introduces them all with wit and empathy. A police detective investigating child abuse makes an entrance. So does a thoroughbred race horse and a shotgun-toting delicatessen owner who falls in love with Jan's mother. Early in the stories, the reader becomes aware that being gay is only a small part of who Jan Blixen is. Jan is the boy who refuses to be intimidated by the bullies at school. Jan is the boy who won't stop loving a father who beats him. Jan is the boy who rescues the broken people around him by being kind and gentle no matter how cruel life becomes. Jan Blixen is-the boy with the yellow socks Reviewers on Goodreads & Amazon write: "Brilliantly and vividly told...One of the most endearing and remarkable novels I've ever read...The originality here is astonishing...The narrative is eloquent and precise...I went through the entire emotional spectrum while reading...Should be a set book for secondary schools...I really like this kid "About the Author: Since a boy of fifteen, all J. Carter Swift has ever wanted to be is a writer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1534601880
• ISBN13: 9781534601888
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.0"