A sweet, tender story of loneliness

This is a short story, but is surprisingly satisfying. It focuses on the relationship between John and Giles without much distraction from other people or events.

John and Giles are both lonely men, who have experienced loss and grief. They have also encountered sordidness and shame in their past attempts at following their attraction to other men. John is a more optimistic soul, who is able to be content with the life he has, and have hopes for the future. In his job as lamplighter, he has noticed Giles, and wondered about the tortured man who walks the city at night.

Giles is struggling to live with his grief for his first lover and childhood friend who killed himself a year ago. As the true nature of their relationship can never be known, he keeps his secret sorrow locked up within himself.

When Giles meets John, he finally has somebody he can talk with, someone he can be his complete self with. While his attraction to John still fills him with shame, confronting his past makes him realise that he must accept happiness when it appears in his life.

John's adoration of Giles is beautiful and pure and tender. His love is gentle and healing, and transformative for Giles.

Mark James is new to me, and I look to listening to more from him. His narration is perfect for this book, calm and soothing.

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