“Tightly written and keenly observed, Shirts and Skins is an impressive debut from a writer we’re sure to hear more from.”
- Nino Ricci, author of Lives of the Saints, Testament and Origin of Species
“Shirts and Skins is
an assured and compassionate novel. Jeffrey Luscombe understands the
power of what isn't said and has created a work that sizzles with
repressed sexuality and family tension. The characters are utterly
believable. A satisfying and compelling work.”
- Lauren B. Davis, author of The Empty Room, Our Daily Bread and The Radiant City
“Shirts and Skins
is a novel that will speak to anyone who has ever felt the
inextricable bonds of the past, or felt the long shadow of family and
home places as they strive towards the light of wholeness of identity
and self-ownership. A first novel deeply felt and skillfully told, by a
writer with insight, compassion, and talent to burn.”
- Michael Rowe, author of Enter, Night and Other Men's Sons
“Shirts and Skins is authentic in its pathos, eloquent in its delivery, and well worth the read.”
- Kyle Thomas Smith, Edge
“It is not
often that we get a new take on an old story, especially one that is as
beautifully rendered as this. I am greatly impressed and anxious to
see what else Luscombe can come up with.”
- Amos Lassen, Reviews by Amos Lassen
“Shirts and Skins is well-plotted and told with a craftsman’s touch, deeply felt characters and a gritty sense of place.”
- Jerry Wheeler, Out in Print
“Each story
brilliantly captures a mood and paints a vivid picture… I’m not a huge
fan of coming out stories, but this one I can highly recommend, because
I feel it is more about overcoming a lifetime of bad choices to
finally savor that sweet wine of triumph. It is about battling one’s
culture and past, to find one’s identity. Shirts and Skins is a story that, I feel, everyone can relate to.”
- Alan Chin, Examiner.com
“An
intriguing, at times disturbing, peek into the mind of a character who
is only half aware of his own feelings. Luscombe is clearly after
something different in this book: it is less about coming out than it
is about going in. Josh’s repression is far more interesting than his
liberation, which is a much more familiar story. In his adherence to
the closet, as in his father’s depression-fueled withdrawal from the
world, we see the tragedy of self-denial. Unlike his father, though,
Josh eventually finds the strength to pull himself out of denial and
embrace his truth. It’s a journey that still resonates for us all.”
- Lewis DeSimone, Lambda Literary
“[The] reiteration of Josh's conditioning toward privacy, or shame,
adds a clever layer to the social commentary that is the driving force
of the book. Luscombe gives a solid voice to an undersung narrative and
an underappreciated town. Shirts and Skins invites its readers to dig a
bit deeper.”
- Jonathan Valelly, Xtra!
“In the
depths of despair, standing outside looking in, Josh touches the hearts
of those who have lost their way to their dreams and aspirations. His
inability to find himself finally leads to an epiphany of his hidden,
yet acknowledged, desires.”
- American Library Association GLBTRT Newsletter
Read an interview with author Jeffrey Luscombe
Jeffrey Luscombe interviewed in Xtra!
