A Matter of Choice (G. Carlos Smith)

Smith, G. Carlos. "A Matter of Choice", P.D. Publishing, 2008. Love With a Twist Amos Lassen We know that the choices we make in life not only affect is but affect others as well. If this were not true life would be very east. We see this with our two main characters Marcus and Conrad who have been good friends while growing up and have made choices that have affected not only their lives but others as well. Marcus came out as gay while at college but Conrad chose to remain in the closet. When Conrad decided to marry a woman, everything seemed fine. He had met the woman of his dreams and had a good legal career. Marcus, on the other hand, has a lousy job parking cars which was the best he could do after dropping outdo school after he came out. Conrad has plans for his life while Marcus just drifts along. Conrad finds that his work has caused his marriage to suffer and when a relationship with Marcus begins, Conrad is unsure. This is a love story that touches on beliefs that st... Read more

Many of us, especially those of us who are gay and come out, like to think that the choices we make for ourselves won't affect others; but the choices we make do have an effect on others. Life would be so much simpler if that weren't the case! As with Marcus and Conrad, good boys and best friends while growing up, they each make choices which have a direct effect on their own lives, on each others life, and on those around them. It began with Marcus' choice of coming out (forced by circumstantial evidence) after his first year in college and Conrad's choice to remain in the closet. Their choices cause the bond they had as teens to crack, but not break. And while their choices don't bring them the joy and fulfillment they had hoped to find, those choices don't break their spirit or the deeply buried love they have for one another. Eventually, they find themselves turning to the other during a tumultuous and emotional decade. The musical pieces chosen for this novel (especiall... Read more

What a refreshing read! This is a classic tale of two friends whose lives take wildly different paths, only to lead back to the bond they shared as children. The characters are lovable, the plot believable and the writing wonderfully crisp. I highly recommend this book!

The classic themes the author explores through his fiction seem more relevant today than ever: choice, freedom, coming of age, discrimination, love, and equal rights. Themes alone though aren't interesting without engaging characters and plot. I believe the author got the mix right in his first novel and even added a clever narrative twist that had me re-reading pages.

Hard to believe this is the author's first book. I'm anxious to learn of the next one. My wife and I both enjoyed this story very much.