The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl

Yates (The Language of Love and Loss) chronicles the eventful life of a gay man through the tumultuous events of the 20th century. Isaac Dahl, 96, began his career as a journalist during WWII. Now, in 2014, he attempts to write his memoir, which forms the bulk of the narrative. It chronicles his origins in rural Utah, where, in 1926, he’s a skinny and timid boy of eight, living in a one-room house with his parents and fearless twin sister. His best friend Bo visits often, though no one suspects Isaac’s budding attraction to him. Isaac structures his account in 12 chapters, each of which takes place over the course of one day in eight-year intervals. At 16, he survives an Oklahoma dust storm; during WWII, while serving as a civilian correspondent, he reports from a battleship during a bombardment. Later, he covers an atomic bomb testing on the Marshall Islands, civil rights protests in the 1960s, and the devastation of the AIDS epidemic. Isaac also reveals the outcome of his long friendship with Bo and the strength he draws from his twin sister. In Yates’s sure hand, Isaac’s story becomes a charming and inspiring testament to queer resilience. This will move readers. (Aug.)