John of John by Douglas Stuart review

TL;DR

The novel is set in the Outer Hebrides in the 1990s within a conservative Free Presbyterian community.
It centers on Cal, a young gay man, and his uneasy homecoming, which reveals the secret, long-term homosexual relationship between his father, John, and John's friend, Innes.
Themes explored include repression, self-denial, loneliness, familial fracture, and the conflict between personal desires and religious/communal expectations.
The narrative features a complex father-son dynamic and the challenges of living a hidden life in a tight-knit society.
The book is noted for its emotional depth, melodrama, and exploration of self-contempt and deceit.

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