“A lyrical and uncompromisingly honest memoir.” –No Son of Mine receives a STARRED REVIEW in Kirkus
“No Son of Mine is a masterpiece.” –STARRED REVIEW in Foreword
“An extraordinary and heartwrenching new memoir…about facing rejection after coming out to his poor, evangelical West Virginia family (especially his mother, a singularly heartbreaking character in her own right)… .It’s a story about our nation’s class divide (I guess you could call it a gay Hillbilly Elegy, except that this particular author isn’t a full-on Trump lackey like J.D. Vance is) and it’s also about the very hard, painful and ultimately soul-nourishing process of creating a supportive and loving chosen family for yourself when your biological family rejects you.” -Author Tim Murphy in his substack the Caftan Chronicles
No Son of Mine: A Memoir – has arrived! As of April 1 you can order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookShop, or the University Press of Kentucky! Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook versions. Please consider ordering your local bookstore!
“Jon Corcoran’s memoir of a beloved son’s twenty year cycle of rejection and grief is also the story of the conflicted mother who adored him, her youngest child and only son, but could not accept him. Every American should read this elegy about the politics of place and church, the loss of one home, and the triumphant forging of another.”
—Jayne Anne Phillips, author of Night Watch
“What if I told you this book will tear your heart out and then turn around and make you want it to happen all over again? There is an ecstatic vulnerability here woven in a language incandescent in its reach.”
—Mesha Maren, author of Perpetual West and Sugar Run
“Set in West Virginia and New York City, No Son of Mine is a gorgeous, extraordinary memoir about the heartbreaking relationship between a queer son and the mother who disowned him, and about two young men falling in love and figuring out how to build their lives together. In poetic and stunning prose, Jonathan Corcoran writes perceptively, fiercely, and tenderly about what it means to be both estranged and bound to a place and family, to feel both loved and rejected, and to grieve and to forgive. It’s also one of the best memoirs I’ve read that shines a light on rural queerness, masculinity, and the complexities of economic class. I absolutely loved this book and I want everyone to read it.”
—Carter Sickels, author of The Prettiest Star
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“Corcoran is a remarkably empathetic writer whose subtle portraits capture undeniably tender moments in the lives of his characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“These artful stories of loss and longing are difficult to put down.”
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
The Rope Swing is Jonathan Corcoran’s debut story collection. Named a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards and longlisted for The Story Prize, The Rope Swing is available for purchase at your local indie bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
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