My Husband and My Wives: A Gay Man's Odyssey

In this heartfelt, often humorous memoir, retired classics professor Beye tells how a onetime gay teenager ended up marrying two women, fathering four children, and eventually marrying his longtime male partner. Born in Iowa in 1930 to a wealthy doctor%E2%80%94who died when Beye was very young%E2%80%94and his buttoned-up wife, Beye had money but lacked emotional support. His sexuality awakened during a year spent at prep school Andover academy.. When he returned to Iowa, Beye was eager to connect with other boys, even if they were straight (and most were). Clear about his sexual orientation, Beye nevertheless married his first wife, Mary, in 1951, because it seemed the thing to do and he genuinely liked her (and heterosexual sex was so novel!). Devastated by Mary's unexpected death a few years later, Beye soon wed his second wife, Penny, with whom he had four children while pursuing his PhD in classics. They divorced after 16 years, but it wasn't until years later that he met and fell in love with his husband-to-be. It's a deftly written personal story that will speak to a range of readers. (Oct.)