by Matt Cain
First sentence: “Albert Entwistle was a postman.”
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Content: There is bullying of a gay man, blatant homophobia, and violence by the police towards gay men. It’s in the fiction section of the bookstore.

Albert Entwistle has been a postman since he was 16 years old. It’s basically been his whole life, especially since his (overbearing and critical) mother died 18 years ago. Now that he’s almost 65, the Royal Mail has decided that it’s time for Albert to retire. This sends Albert into a bit a of a tailspin: what is he supposed to do with his life without the routine of carrying the mail?

The answer comes when he finds an old picture: he’s going to go looking for the boy he fell in love with when he was sixteen. On the way, he opens up to his coworkers, makes several friends, and learns to accept and be open about his sexuality.

I think I picked this up becuase a bookseller (at a different bookstore) told me it was very heart-warming and affirming, and I have to agree. It’s a sweet story about the importance of belonging and the way being open to other people can your enrich your life. It’s charming and sweet, and very English. It’s very cis, though it does talk about drag culture some, and there’s no on-page sex (it’s all implied). Perhaps it’s one of those gay books for non-gay people, but I liked it for the emphasis on friendships and community. It’s charming and sweet and a feel-good read. And I enjoyed it a lot.