Reviews for In Jupiter's Shadow
"Greg Gerard delights and entertains as he energetically and systematically tackles the mysteries of God, family, and later, sexuality." read full review
—Sonja Livingston, author of Ghostbread, a memoir
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"Generous, bighearted, and filled with homespun wisdom, In Jupiter's Shadow is a mystery story of a different stripe!" read full review
—Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals
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"At times heart-wrenching and at others heartwarming, In Jupiter's Shadow is ultimately a funny, poignant, and uplifting tale that does not disappoint." read full review
—Georgia Beers, reviewer, The Empty Closet
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"One of the literary pleasures of this year...In Jupiter's Shadow is one of those books the reader wishes would never end." read full review
—Grady Harp, reviewer, Poets and Artist (O&S)
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"I finish Chapter One interested to see what happens next. Always a good sign. Best of luck completing it and finding a publisher."
—Andrew Tobias, author of The Best Little Boy in the World
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"Gerard's gift as an author is his unpretentious ability to explore deep and eternal struggles through the lens of youthful optimism." read full review
—Greg
DiStefano, author of Breakdown:
Diamonds, Death and Second Chances
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"As a writer and teacher of memoir, I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of the genre. I'm happy to say that Greg Gerard's "In Jupiter's Shadow" is among the best I've read." read full review
—Cami Sorbello, journalist, The Courier Journal
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"It would be a serious mistake to regard this as a niche book...this is the best memoir I have encountered in years." read full review
—Robert W. Gregg, author, The Crooked Lake Mystery Series
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"I holed up in the bathroom at midnight to finish reading so I wouldn't keep my husband awake."
—Elizabeth Boice, daughter of a gay father
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FULL REVIEWS
FULL REVIEW BY SONJA LIVINSTON:
"Greg Gerard delights and entertains as he energetically and systematically tackles the mysteries of God, family, and later, sexuality. Making use of all the clues (in pop culture, relationships, and religion), Greg takes readers along on a colorful quest to solve the ultimate mystery; to discover a sense of self."
—Sonja Livingston, author of Ghostbread, a memoir
"On a quest for the authentic self, a precocious, gimlet-eyed young Gerard sets off to discover his true identity. Along the way he finds clues in the most unlikely of places. Generous, bighearted, and filled with homespun wisdom, In Jupiter's Shadow is a mystery story of a different stripe!"
—Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals
"Anybody who grew up in the ‘80s will be able to relate to Gregory Gerard’s In Jupiter’s Shadow simply because of the pop culture references. Music, movies, television — they’re all there. A little bit of Sheena Easton here, a little bit of the Hardy Boys there, some Jupiter Jones, and a taste of The Flintstones tossed into the mix. They permeate the memoir (in a good way), setting the mood for each chapter, and creative a most colorful of backdrops as the story unfolds.
But there’s much more to Gerard’s memoir than pop culture. Starting in 1973, we journey with the Rochester author through his lonesome childhood, his confusing teenage years, and into young adulthood. The path is strewn with obstacles — religion, family, sexuality, and food to name a few — some of which are mere bumps in the road and others which seem to be insurmountable walls for our young hero, an immensely likable boy with a rich fantasy life and an understandable addiction to junk food.
Gerard’s family is populated by unique and memorable characters that run the gamut from lovable (brother Paul) to almost frightening (father Darwin). His mother is a devout Christian woman who adores her youngest son, but doesn’t really see him. His father is a big bear of a man with a drinking problem and a seemingly split personality, neither side of which Gerard can seem to get to know, no matter how hard he tries. Gerard’s other siblings, teachers, and friends round out the cast as he tries his best to find his way through adolescence and reconcile his profound faith in God with his growing attraction to other men.
Gerard’s writing is casual, comfortable, and easy to read. It’s as if he’s an old friend telling the story over hot coffee and warm baked goods. At times heart-wrenching and at others heartwarming, In Jupiter’s Shadow is ultimately a funny, poignant, and uplifting tale that does not disappoint. With 'In Jupiter's Shadow,' Gregory Gerard shares his childhood and in doing so, tells a story that vacillates between heartwarming and heartwrenching. His pop culture references are funny, poignant, and will resonate with anybody who grew up in the 70s and/or 80s. A humorous, touching, uplifting read."
—Georgia Beers, reviewer, The Empty Closet
FULL REVIEW BY GREG DISTEFANO:
"In this disarmingly honest, poignant portrait of innocence slowly lost, Greg Gerard takes us through the joys and sorrows of self-discovery, and the importance of emerging from the shadows of other people's expectations. As a gay "recovering Catholic," I could relate to the harrowing teenage road paved with angst, fear, guilt, shame and denial on the journey toward self-awareness and ultimately self-acceptance. Gerard's gift as an author is his unpretentious ability to explore deep and eternal struggles through the lens of youthful optimism and everyday events, demonstrating the swirling torrents of confusion and emotion that define all of us in the search for our selves."
—Greg
DiStefano, author of Breakdown:
Diamonds, Death and Second Chances
FULL
REVIEW BY GRADY HARP:
‘I
couldn’t solve the mystery of my sexuality.’
One of the literary pleasures of this year is the discovery of a gifted new writer by the name of Gregory Gerard.
Though IN JUPITER’S SHADOW is his first venture into the world of the novel, Gerard gives notice of a writer of great skill and a mind capable of understanding and relating the manner of thinking and coping with the world that faces the developing young people of today. This is a story rich in content, in conveying the parameters of life in a family surrounded by the tradition of the Roman Catholic view of life yet sharing the many methods of hiding inconsistencies from the Confessional on the part of both parents and children, of the influence of the times between the years 1979 and 1984 on the maturing of teenagers, and of the struggle and turmoil of coping with sexuality that faces so many of the youngsters (and adults) paralyzed by the expectations of society.
Yes, this is a coming of age story but it is so much more. With this book Gregory Gerard enters the arena of the best of authors who deal with the struggles of boys becoming men in Middle America (and throughout the country).
The main character, Greg, is a young lad who has always preferred living in the world of make believe, patterning his world view after the character detective Jupiter, a chubby but oh so wise and clever fictional boy who leads the pack in a series of books called ‘The Three Investigators.’ Gerard opens his book with some family background in 1973 where we meet his family:
--Drinking Dar, the alcoholic father,
--The
Booker, his coping organized mother,
--his five older siblings including a delicate portrayal of a
brain injured brother Paul,
--Greg’s sobriquet as ‘The Caboose’ (suggesting
his place in line of a family that could have easily done without
him),
--his funky Gram who has terms for everything,
--and
the various priests whose influence is felt at every turn.
From this starting point Gerard allows us to grow along with and accompany Greg through his adventures as a detective, as a boy who longs to be ‘normal’ but who prefers boys as his night dream stimulators for his forbidden acts of release.
Bouncing back and forth between the years 1979 and 1984 (a very clever and well devised method of introducing and explaining a child’s progress) Gerard comfortably takes us through Greg’s steps towards finding his identity: as Greg chronicles his life he writes in his journals:
‘Gram’s death. Longing to be a priest. The Bathtub. Adam. Building Headquarters. Saint Mike’s graduation. Going to McQuaid. Robberies at Gerard’s Grocery. Prayers for normalcy. Backrubs with Bob. Roy’s death.’
Each of these notations represents featured incidents in the boy’s progress to find himself and become the man he is despite the stumbles in the way of his journey. This is a story of the rigors of accepting self, especially when that self happens to be at odds with society. Gerard has the sensitivity to allow the quasi-dysfunctional family to still bear the fond memories even the worst of families retain in each of our minds. He also is kind to the influences of the variety of priests from the Catholic Church who influence the various steps in Greg’s development. And he allows us to witness and experience the delicacy and trauma of falling in love, even when falling in love imports the same sex variety.
IN JUPITER’S SHADOW is one of those books the reader wishes would never end, so welcome and treasureable is the journey with Greg – a young man we all grow to love and admire. Filled to the brim with brilliant writing, with page after page of hilarious storyline, and equally suffused with sensitivity for issues of living and dying we all learn to face, IN JUPITER'S SHADOW is a little dream of a book. Very Highly Recommended for all readers.
—Grady Harp, reviewer, Poets and Artists (O&S)
FULL REVIEW BY ROBERT W. GREGG:
'A fascinating story, beautifully told!'
In Jupiter's Shadow is a brilliant recreation of both childhood and coming of age. More importantly, it invites the reader to share the author's experience as a devout Catholic who discovers that he is gay. But it would be a serious mistake to regard this as a niche book. It should appeal to everyone who has experienced growing pains, whatever their nature.
The author has a wonderful way with words. He treats the people who inhabit his book - family, friends, members of the clergy - with understanding and affection. Places come alive. The barn where young Greg has his 'headquarters,' the family grocery store, the schools he attends - he makes you feel that you have been there with him. If you aren't a fan of Sheena Easton, you will be after reading this book.
I am neither Catholic nor gay, but I found myself walking in Greg's shoes and rooting for the happy ending. This is the best memoir I have encountered in years.
—Robert W. Gregg, author, The Crooked Lake Mystery Series
"As a writer and teacher of memoir, I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of the genre. I'm happy to say that Greg Gerard's In Jupiter's Shadow is among the best I've read.
He moves us back and forth in time as he struggles to find his identity as the youngest child in a small-town, Catholic family. Friends and family, teachers and priests, all play a part in this journey of self-discovery. Gerard's attention to detail and dialogue, and keen memory of the people and places in his life grab the reader right from the start. And his sense of humor and optimism lifts the story above the common "woe is me" memoir that can be so tiresome.
Gerard gives us people who are real, not two dimensional, "cardboard" characters, and we come to know them all--the challenging, and the nurturing--through this carefully crafted book. I never felt he was harsh or judgmental of himself or others as he worked to solve the mysteries within.
In Jupiter's Shadow is a memoir that has earned a place on the shelf alongside Mary Karr's "The Liar's Club" and Rick Bragg's "Ava's Man." Greg Gerard has earned a place among them, and is definitely a writer to watch! I look forward to his next book!
—Cami Sorbello, journalist, The Courier Journal