Review of For a Lost Soldier (1992) by Douglas Edward C — 07 Feb 2007
Based on an autobiography. Jeroen is 12, becoming aware that he is attracted to boys' bodies, not girls', and his sense of feeling different,. To compound his sexual stress, he is living with a family, of fundamentalist, Protestant Christianity.
The Netherlands is liberated by the allies and a group of Canadian soldiers arrive in the small rural Dutch village. A gay soldier Walt, probably in his late teens,was really maybe only 17 or 18 and sort of a boy himself, detects Jeroen's homosexuality and begins to court him, and have loving sex with him.
No doubt it is controversial, maybe disturbing to many is the fact that the boy does not feel victimized., and seeks out the man's company and greatly romanticizes the experience. The Europeans deal with sexuality in a vastly different manner to the Americans do.
like it or not, this is an autobiography, we have to accept that he does not feel that the soldier had wronged him. This is his story; he wished it to be told.
This review of For a Lost Soldier (1992) was written by Douglas Edward C on 07 Feb 2007.
For a Lost Soldier has generally received very positive reviews.
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