#douglasstuart – Ink And Spine

by Douglas Stuart

John of John is the third book of Stuart’s I’ve read, and it’s just as poignant, just as beautifully written as the first two.

Our protagonist, John Callum (Cal), is a young gay man struggling in life, moving from couch to couch, sneaking food, and having one-night stands. During their weekly phone calls, Cal’s father, John, says that Grandma Ella has taken ill and urges him to return home. Cal hesitates, feeling like a failure and dreading his return to the small Scottish Hebrides town where being a young gay man is far from ideal.

Cal returns home with his long, brightly dyed hair and androgynous appearance, exposing himself to his father’s verbal and physical abuse. We wonder if John’s violence stems from his wife’s departure and remarriage, Grandma Ella’s ownership of the property, or his own struggles as a Presbyterian minister, burdened by church rules and secrets his son’s presence brings to light.

Douglas Stuart’s stories overflow with theme and emotion. He crafts characters whose heartache, confusion, and love resonate universally, and captures the honest, heartbreaking bond of father and son. The novel explores identity, lineage, and the tension between pleasing parents and seeking one’s own path.

A beautiful novel, just as I expected. I will always be a Douglas Stuart fan.

Thank you to Grove Press and Netgalley for the copy.

“His shirt was freshly laundered, a sharp crease ran down the sleeve, and Mungo took that as a sign that some woman cared for him, that he was worth something to someone.” (Douglas Stuart).

This novel sucks you in, rips your heart out, and leaves you sobbing on the floor. Seriously. I haven’t been this emotionally impacted by a novel since A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara…and it took me a summer of reading fluffy books to heal my heart.

Young Mungo is about Mungo, the youngest child of three raised (if you can call it that) by a single mother whose presence is sporadic and, more often than not, fueled by alcohol.
Mungo’s life consists of: spending time with his older sister Jodie who serves as a surrogate mother when she is not working, alone, or reluctantly vandalizing, stealing, and fighting in his brother Hamish’s gang.

Mungo is a gentle soul who seeks out friendship and affection from whomever he can. Sadly he is often abused and taken advantage of because of this. Besides the love of his sister and the mother-like attention he gets from his next-door neighbour, Mungo finds friendship and love in his neighbour James. The fact that James is both male and Catholic makes their affection for each other dangerous.

With this second book, Douglas Stuart has become one of my favourite authors. His gift at storytelling is vivid and visceral. The reader quickly becomes immersed in the life of Mungo Hamilton, and at times we are left breathless with emotion.

Young Mungo will be published April 5 2022

Trigger warning: physical, emotional, and sexual assault.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

You’ll find my review of Stuart’s first novel Shuggie Bain here