I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
An older man is drawn into his past as he faces a new and exciting yet uncertain future in author Vincent Traughber Meis’s “The Long Journey to You”.
The Synopsis
Nathan doesn’t know how to stop dwelling on the failures and tragedies that have plagued him since the last time we saw him at the end of The Mayor of Oak Street, a twenty-one-year-old happily in the arms of the handsome young doctor he had pined for since he was twelve. Many years later, what could mend Nathan’s heart after the latest tragedy and stop his deep dives into the past? After a chance meeting on the street with ER nurse, Mateo, a big chunk of Nathan’s reminiscing is now devoted to that encounter. Will he seize the day or continue wallowing in the past, having lunch with his BFF, and writing poetry?
He has traveled the globe and survived a disease that people once thought was a death sentence. There are moments with Mateo he is convinced that his whole life led him to this great love. At other times, he’s ready to kill him. Mateo, for his part, must take care of his ailing mother while he works full time in the emergency room. The practical aspects of starting a new relationship are challenging. Above all, this novel is a story of healing and finding true love.
The Review
This was a fantastic and emotional read. The author does an excellent job crafting a complex and in-depth story of love and heartbreak in a time when sexual identity was still tough to contend with due to society’s opinions and judgments. Not only does the story showcase the struggle of living as a gay man openly, but themes of health scares during the AIDS epidemic and the uncertainty that life brings in the face of tragedy as well.
The character development allowed the story to shine brightly. The protagonist was so deep and fueled by emotions we all can identify with. The pain of loss and the fear of loneliness are genuine emotions that we all must contend with in life, and the enthralling story that stems from Nathan’s loss and search for hope kept the reader engaged every step of the narrative.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, caring, and engaging author Vincent Traughber Meis’s “The Long Journey to You” is a must-read and thoughtful story of love, romance, and emotional depth. The pacing of the novel’s story allows the characters to grow and evolve in a way that makes them feel real and alive on the page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Vincent Traughber Meis grew up in Decatur, Illinois and graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans. He has also traveled extensively, and as result of his travels and time abroad he published a number of pieces, mostly travel articles, but also a few poems and book reviews, in publications such as, The Advocate, LA Weekly, In Style, and Our World in the 1980s and 90s. He has published five novels with Fallen Bros Press: Eddie’s Desert Rose (2011), Tio Jorge (2012), and Down in Cuba (2013), Deluge (2016) and Four Calling Burds (2019).
Tio Jorge received a Rainbow Award in the category of Bisexual Fiction in 2012.Down in Cuba received two Rainbow Awards in 2013. Deluge won a Rainbow Award in 2016. His sixth novel The Mayor of Oak Street was released in June 2021 with NineStar Press. A book of his short stories will be published by NineStar in September 2021. His stories have been published in several collections, including WITH: New Gay Fiction, and other collections. He lives in San Leandro, California.
https://www.instagram.com/vincentmeisauthor
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