Will has grown up and come of age in a time when being gay really was "the love that dare not speak its name" only to find himself confronted with an 11 year old boy who needs his presence after the death of his father. Brannon is intelligent, and could go far, but is forced to drop out of school to help is mother. He leaves Huston to work and a year later and much more a man returns. Will then must deal with the 17 year age difference between himself and Bran as the young man comes into himself as a gay man. Bran has been drafted and is about to be sent to war in South-east Asia.This is a quite a gripping read. I remember this time period but from a very different and more youthful perspective. The gay rights movement was in its infancy even as I grew up and I know the feeling of the closet. I was very much like Will from the age of 15 until I found the courage and desire for change in my 30s. By the time I felt secure in my own skin the AIDS epidemic was in full swing and Pride parades had become an annual event. So much has changed, so much has improved. We owe so much to the brave pioneers, soldiers, of the gay rights movement for the life we live today. This book is the very reason I don't watch military movies. Having served 11 years in the military, I have a strong affinity for the men and women in the service and reading their stories always gets me choked up whether they are happy or tragic. In this case, I knew it was coming and I almost didn't want to finish it because I knew I would be angry at the ending. While I understand why the story ended the way it did - I was still angry. Angry for wasted life and the extinguishing of a promising future for one young 18 year old man, and for love between two people.I have to say, I was a bit creeped out about the fact that Will was almost like a surrogate father to Bran in the beginning and the huge age difference between them. It might have been easier to visualize for me if the man on the cover looked a bit more irresistible and didn't have such a creepy mustache...? But regardless, I was happy that Bran at least was able to have 2 weeks of happiness and 2 weeks of memories to bring with him to the front line.I almost never give short stories 5 stars because there is usually not enough plot development, but this is maybe the only short story that I have given 5 stars to. It's probably better that this was a short story, because if Marie Sexton spent 200 pages describing a growing love before Bran is killed, I would've been even more upset at the end.
What do You think about One More Soldier (2010)?
I'm not crying. I am NOT crying. Who am I kidding? I'm crying like a baby!
—vj2008
I can't see the keyboard, I'm crying too hard.
—Jorge
