Two Irish Lads is, quite simply, a wonderfully refreshing novel
about a subject that would be controversial even if it were set
sometime in the past thirty years (e.g., Brokeback Mountain). In
making things interesting, this story has been set in the
nineteenth century, when homosexuality was completely forbidden.
Since we know that homosexuality has existed since the dawn of man,
we know that a story like Two Irish Lads is a probable fact of
history.
The style of Two Irish Lads-that is, the journal style-is
reminiscent of the time in which the book is set. I believe that is
why it works as well as it does. Moreover, the author's knowledge
of the nineteenth century is apparent, as the setting is presented
so authentically that the reader would almost think that he lived
and wrote during that time.
In short, author Gerry Burnie has successfully written a
distinctive and gripping story about an unlikely set of characters,
and my view of pioneer life may never be the same on account of it.