Two Strand River

I just read the other review and I'm a little non-plussed. I first read "Gloria" and was so taken by the writing, that I searched for other novels by Keith Maillard and this one was the first that came from the library. Unfortunately, the entire Lost Angeles Public Library does not see fit to stock more than one copy of Mr. Maillard's books, so I had to be patient for my requests. I was fascinated by the characters in "Two Strand River" and their reverse gender issues didn't get in the way of my following their journey. What most impressed me was the poetry that joined everyone. Alan/Ellen and the relationship of his sisters and niece was so close and endearing. They might not be able to figure him out (nor could he) but they loved him. Leslie's non-relationship with her family and not fitting in anywhere was heart-rendering. The tribal rituals of the sweat lodges and being lost in trance were familiar to me. Of course, I live in southern California, so a little transgender consciousness raising shouldn't be suprising. Ok, you knew that at the end of the last paragraph, they would meet, but it was worth waiting for. I savored the moment. It was dear and sweet and I would have read another hundred pages had they been written so beautifully. In his afterword, the author mentions that this book has been used as a textbook in various high school and college English classes. Exactly how bad a novel could it be? I would tell anyone that Keith Maillard is a brilliant writer and that I loved reading this book.