Breakfast with Scot

With all the brouhaha in Massachusetts and nationally over same sex marriage and gay parenting this beautifully written book is more timely now than when it was written. Its world, Cambridge between Central and Harvard Squares, is small, like Jane Austen's, but its insight is very large. Michael Downing is to be congratulated not only for his sensitivity but also for his humor while writing about a subject and people that are usually approached with yawnmaking seriousness. Some organization ought to send this book to every legislator and judge who is faced with the subject; the rest of us ought to read it.

Michael Downing is an author possessed of a singular wit. "Breakfast with Scot" brings forth the creation of characters so lovable in the fact that all are completely genuine. They all admire Scot for his uniqueness, although they find it troublesome. Scot comes sashaying into creation as one of the most likeable characters in modern literature. He is honest, innocent, and genuinely doesn't understand why some people can wear make-up, lace stockings, and charm bracelets while others cannot. As one reviewer suggested, this novel is filled with people that you will wish you knew. This is my all-time favorite novel. Kudos to Mr. Downing!

Although I am gay, I have to admit I am completely missing "the parenting gene," so when a friend recommended to me a novel about two gay men raising a child, I nearly tossed my cookies at the saccharine possibilities. Imagine my surprise to find this very funny, sharply written, richly characterful story so compelling that I blew off a day of work to read this book in one sitting. In the span of its too-short 194 pages, I became almost irrationally attached to the three main characters -- especially Scot, one of the most delightfully eccentric and least sentimental child characters I have ever encountered. This kid could melt the crusty resolve of W.C. Fields. Sorry, but I am just completely besotted with this book, and I will be seeking out everything else Michael Downing has written. BREAKFAST WITH SCOT is a small but perfect gem.

A rare and lucky find: sweet, sweet, sweet.I plucked "Breakfast with Scot" (one "t") from the local library's "New Books" shelf. Read it first and then purchased my own copy, the highest praise I can give. That and the fact that I plan to follow up by reading this author's previous works.Michael Downing's characters are as real and loveable as any by Anne Tyler, but without the latter's sometimes contrived zaniness. This last book I remember reading with this much heart and humor is Clyde Edgerton's "Walking Across Egypt." Certainly nothing here to offend, and much to praise. It's a bit of an emotional roller-coaster ride, too. I had a tear in my eye at least once and laughed out loud (and I mean LOUD) more than twice. I even gasped a few times at the author's insight into life's little moments: looks, gestures, behaviors... Mr. Downing is a real writer, and "Breakfast with Scot" is a beauty. Highly recommended.

Ah, what a gem! Breakfast with Scot made me laugh and cry, frequently while reading the same sentence. When I grow up (if ever) I want to write just like this. Downing is a very gifted man with insight and compassion that can only come from more than one lifetime of experience. Much of the book derives from between the lines...between the chapters. It is about letting people be themselves and what can happen when you try to change them into something acceptable by society. It is about raising children.....it is about family.....it is about acceptance....and about how the human heart can so quickly become attached to another heart and never want to let go. Yes, this is a keeper! It ranks on the top of my 99' list and maybe even the decade. PS: I loved the cheerleading and splits scene! Bravo!