Sticks and Stones

Jackie Calhoun's novel, "Sticks and Stones" portrays Alex, a hard-working teacher whose gay relationship is discovered. As a result, her lover, Sue, fears that she will lose custody of her daughter, Cassie, by her ex-husband, Ted. But Ted bargains with Sue for Cassie. He says if Sue leaves Alex, he won't pursue obtaining custody of Cassie. Sue feels driven to ask Alex to leave their apartment. But when Ted plants illegal substances in Alex and Sue's vehicles and Sue's father sends Ted out on his own, Ted's corrupt behavior gives Sue the incentive to fight for Cassie. "I'm not going to let Ted decide my life for me anymore," Sue says. I commend Ms. Calhoun for dramatizing a custody battle that is really the husband's jealous revenge against his wife's preference for a woman.

Alex is a good teacher. Her students tell her so and the sports teams she coaches respond to her leadership. Then the letter arrives. The letter is sent to every faculty member, the administration and the school board. The letter says that Alex is unfit to teach high school students because she is living with another woman and her child in an active lesbian relationship. If you're Alex, you think the worst has happened, but you're wrong. As you're trying to deal with the letter, your lover Sue is notified by her ex-husband that he is going to try and take her daughter away because of the relationship. Then the home of a friend is burned down and the boy Alex has been trying to help may be responsible. This book covers a lot of areas in a few pages. What are the costs of staying in the closet? Can teachers be deprived of their professions because of their lifestyles? Can Alex and Sue find a way to keep their relationship alive in the face of all of these pressures? And who keeps trying to burn out their friend? Surprisingly, the book carries a punch even with dealing with all of those topics.