Stories of the Boy with the Yellow Socks

De: J. Carter Swift

Narrado por: Raedyn N Vidal

With sensitivity and a teenager’s ability to find humor even in disaster, Jan Blixen tells of his life growing up gay in the Midwest. Fast-paced and intricately woven, Jan’s stories are a concentration of emotional power, often heartwarming and heartbreaking in the span of a few minutes. So vividly does Jan portray the people in his world, they seem to be full of life and breath.

An escaped mental patient living in a refrigerator box gives Jan a priceless gift. A university professor accused of a terrible crime is Jan’s best friend. Jan’s father, a drunk and a brawler, loathes his gay son as God’s practical joke. And as the listener continues, Jan keeps introducing new characters: a pastor who believes an exorcism will save Jan’s soul, a shotgun-toting delicatessen owner who suffers a wound that will never heal, a thoroughbred racehorse that kicks and runs his way into Jan’s heart.

A book of compelling social significance, Stories of the Boy with the Yellow Socks is the story of a boy unafraid to be himself, a boy who defeats cruelty and bigotry with the gift he so willingly shares—his gift of gentleness.

About the author: Since a boy of 15, all J. Carter Swift has ever wanted to be is a writer.

©2013 Stan D. Jensen (P)2022 Stan D. Jensen

Captivating

As I have aged my eyes tire easily so I am turning to Audible more and more. One advantage is I can listen while doing other things, cleaning, walking the dogs, or even falling asleep. By the first chapter of Stories of the Boy in the Yellow Socks, I knew this one would demand my full attention whether I wanted to give it or not. The longer I listened to Jan the narrator, the more captivating he became.
Each chapter is so cleanly and tightly written they could stand alone as short stories, but by reading them in the sequence we get to understand the characters.
Characters are what make or break a novel for me. If I believe a character I can believe their story. Jan and the people in his life are as clear to me as if they lived next store. I enjoyed this book so much, at 65+ I both laughed and cried as I listened to the words of a young boy struggling to enter a world not yet ready for him.
I hope the author will tell us more about Jan.I would love to hear what happens to a slightly older Jan Blixen.