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The Front Runner  By  cover art

The Front Runner

By: Patricia Nell Warren
Narrated by: Christian Rummel
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Publisher's summary

First published in 1974, The Front Runner raced to international acclaim - the first novel about gay love to become popular in the mainstream.

In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man. Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor.

The lean, graceful front runner with gold-rim glasses sees directly into Harlan's heart. Billy's gentle and open acceptance of his sexuality makes Harlan afraid to confront either the pain of his past, or the challenges which lay in wait if their intimacy is exposed. But when Coach Brown finds himself falling in love with his most gifted athlete, he must combat his true feelings for Billy or risk the outrage of the entire sports world - and their only chance at Olympic gold.

©1974 Patricia Nell Warren (P)2011 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

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What listeners say about The Front Runner

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    5 out of 5 stars

A Surprisingly Great Love Story

This is a great love story and the reason I say surprisingly is because of the time frame in which the book was written. Patricia Nell Warren's tale of Harlan and Billy is sweet and tantalizing and most certainly relatable. I will admit that some of the terminology used, such as 'The Gay' made me laugh a bit, but keeping in mind that this book was originally written in 1974, it is fairly accurate to the times, although I do not believe I have ever called myself 'A Gay'. :-) The narration by Christian Rummel is fantastic and certainly adds to the intensity of the story. The book allows the reader to embrace the best, suffer in the tragedy, and long for a better tomorrow. A must read!

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12 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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I really wish I liked this more

First let me say the narrator of this book does a wonderful job. I am actually glad I listened to this book because I think I would have hated reading it. The narrator at least brought the characters to life and made a bad story and mediocre writing at least bearable. I should qualify my review by saying this book was written in 1975, so I really tried to keep my opinions in that context. That was a very volatile time in the gay rights movement. As an exposure to that time and the challenges that gay men had to face, I think the book does a great job. However, as a romance/love story I did not enjoy it. Not because the love story wasn’t poignant and beautiful, but because of the direction the author chose to take it. It was like she took the reader on this wonderful ride only to pull the rug out from under us in the end. I realize the “shock” value of what she did, but I really don’t think it was necessary and it seemed almost cruel. Also, in my opinion, the aftermath wasn’t executed well enough to gain the “acclaim” this book seemed to have. Maybe in 1975 it was considered great art, but in 2013 I don't think it survives the test of time. I wish she had just stuck with the gay rights message and not delved into the love story; I think I would have enjoyed it more.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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You will rembember this

I listened to this many, many books ago and normally i forget most of them again to the point that i have no idea why they are in my library. This one i still remember and usually it is a good indication of the quality of the book - the ones with impact factor stays with me. So - this is a lovestory, but its not a fairytale - if you like the more serious MM books you will probably like this one.

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3 people found this helpful

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Great listen, tear jerking romance

This was a great listen which I could not put down;
even cried along the way.
Narrator did a good job
well worth a credit

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3 people found this helpful

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If I could rate higher than 5 this would be a 100

Wonderful book. I would love to listen to more of her books. The fancy dancer would be one I'd love to hear.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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An Old Friend

I first read this book when I was 19. I read it again when I was in my 30’s, and again when I was in my mid 40’s. This was the first time I listened to it. The characters are like old friends. Wish the sequels as well as Fancy Dancer was in audio format. Obviously, this book and author are “go to” for me. Wish I could give it 100 stars!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A Great Love Story From the Past

Loved the book. A great look at gay life in the mid 70’s. A bit dated, but lovely.

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Life isn’t a race, it’s a marathon

You will also fall in love with the charisma, kindness, and resilience of runner Billy Sive.

The performance of the narration is great! Very easy to listen to and follow along.


My only critique of the story is the misuse of pronouns and misgendering of the trans women in the story. As a reader you do have to take it with a grain of salt due to the book being written in the 70’s where gay culture was not as accepting to trans women. The trans characters themselves are wonderful and add warmth and sometimes comedic relief to the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent read

A beautiful love story, enjoyed the pace in which the story evolved. I would read it again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I still love it

I read this book when it first came out. I was a very young man then but I enjoyed it.

On a whim I downloaded the audiobook and listened to it. I had remembered the basic story but forgot the details. I throughly enjoyed it.

It’s well written ad well narrated. The characters are appealing and well developed. It’s a very accurate description of the time period and lifestyle.

I ended up buying the two sequels , Harlan’s Run and Billy’s Boy. I enjoy both but I was sad when I finished them. It was like saying goodbye to an entire group of friends

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