Second Son

Written in the year before his death, Robert Ferro's final novel captures the thoughts surrounding one man's final days while facing an AIDS death. The protagonist, Mark Valerian, juggles not just AIDS but a family crisis in which the beloved beach home might get sold for the sake of the family business, and a new relationship with Bill, who also has "It." The word AIDS is never mentioned in the book; nor was it mentioned in his life, either.While beautifully wrought, with vivid characters, there is a definite datedness to the book, as it pre-dates protease inhibitors, prolonged seropositivity with no illness--along with mentions of the exploded space shuttle challenger and the radioactive cloud from Chernobyl that covers Europe. Still, it is a wonderful book that also deals with a family's reaction to not just AIDS but a sibling's homosexuality and the choices he makes.Also interesting is the fantasy element, where in Matthew, Mark's penpal of many years--who fixes him up with Bill--dreams of escaping a celibate life caring for a sick mother by dreaming of a fantastical escape. Hope and despair cling to each other here, with some mystical moments that take the edge off what might be a very depressing time.Ferro is also well known for his books The Blue Star and The Family of Max Desir. Along with his lover Michael Grumley, he was a member of the seven-man Violet Quill club that included Felice Picano and Edmund White.