Reviewed by Susan

TITLE: Under A Sky Of Ash

AUTHOR: Brandon Witt

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 270 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2016

BLURB:

More than a decade after leaving Colorado to attend college and escape his past, Isaiah Greene moves back and builds a life in Denver as a special education teacher. When he meets Ben Woods, the mentor of one of his students, the attraction is immediate. The revelations that they’ve both suffered traumatic childhoods form a bond between them.

Raised by an abusive grandmother, Ben is a recovering addict who has made a family with his construction worker boss, Hershel, and Hershel’s husband, Daniel—drag queen ManDonna. Adding Isaiah to his life gives Ben a glimpse of a future he’d never dreamed possible for himself.

Both Isaiah and Ben are survivors, but when guilt drives a wedge between them, the past threatens to end their relationship.

Ben and Isaiah embark on journeys of self-discovery. Though their path will be difficult at times, humor and love find a way to bring light to the darkness.

REVIEW:

Ben Woods could easily have been a caricature of a blue collar former addict, but he is told with a warmth, passion and humour that make him someone you would like to know better. He has had a rough life with tragedy and addiction, but he has fought his way back to become someone worthy of friendship and love.

Isaiah is a man who has overcome a tragedy to lead a good, but not overly comfortable life. He is wary of his job security and trying to make amends with the events of the past and the guilt he feels over it. His worries about how others will perceive his being a gay man who teaches young students drives his actions and makes you want to root for him to find love and happiness.

When they meet, the attraction is mutual and something they want to explore further. And slowly they begin to believe that they can make a relationship work between them.

What brings them together is Aaron, who is Ben’s Little Brother and Isaiah’s student. Ben does his best to mentor and offer friendship to Aaron who has behavioral issues. As a major supporting

character, Aaron drives a lot of the story. His character could have been annoying, but he is written in such a warm and relatable way that I found myself responding to the humour he brings to the story.

Ben’s found family are wonderful characters in their own right. Hershel is way more than just a boss and Daniel/Man-Donna is more than a friend. They are his support system and a source of love that bolsters him and keeps him grounded.

What tears them apart is the past and the guilt that comes with it. I found that I understood the pain and doubts that their struggle brought them. I became engrossed with their anguish and was rooting for them to find a path back together. Their story is dark, but is sprinkled with humour and love that brings you inside their world and eager to go along for the ride.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

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