Description:
Raised in a conservative Italian-American family in 1950s Pennsylvania, Anthony Dimora grows up idolizing his charismatic, emotionally distant father-until an early, half-understood moment at the lake becomes the fault line of his awakening sexuality. As Anthony comes to terms with being gay in a hostile culture shaped by family secrecy and the looming Vietnam War, his relationship with his father begins to fracture. Only in adulthood does he return to these memories with the clarity needed to question what truly happened. Handled with psychological nuance, humanity, and quiet humor, Charles L. Ross's novel offers a fearless examination of taboo, trauma, and the fragile architecture of self-understanding.
Review Quotes:
What Happened in Lake Erie is about a subject rarely dealt with-the desire a gay son feels for his father-which makes Ross's sexual biography, like Portnoy's Complaint, as funny as it is shocking.
-Andrew Holleranauthor of Dancer from the Dance and Grief
While much of the novel's material is quite dark, Ross renders it palatable through the humanity of his characters. And the bold exploration of a father and son's relationship makes for a compelling reading experience.
-Kirkus Reviews