An Eloquent and Dynamic Story
Canadian author, Jeffrey Round, does not disappoint in his remarkable new novel, The English Tutor. The interaction between the two main characters, Geoffrey (Geef) and Yusuf is a poignant and impactful love story between two gay men.
Geoffrey has been hired as a tutor to teach English to Libyan freedom fighters who are in Canada to receive medical care and physical rehabilitation. The ultimate goal for these Muslim men is to return home. Their bodies may have been broken by war, but their loyalty to Libya, their families, and their faith is unwavering.
Yusuf is a young Muslim who falls in love with Geoffrey, whom he affectionately calls Geef. He is torn between two worlds — his love for Geef in Canada, where he can live freely and safely as a gay man and his desire to obey his parents, who eagerly wait for him to return home to Libya to marry the young woman they have chosen for him. Yusuf struggles with his sexuality knowing that his life will be forfeit in Libya should people discover he is gay. Geoffrey is heart-broken when ultimately Yusuf chooses to return to his family in Libya.
Here is an excerpt from the book which I found particularly insightful.
“In that moment, I saw a man caught between two worlds — a gay Muslim who petted dogs and drank alcohol, yet who still observed Ramadan and read from the Quran daily. He enjoyed a life with me, his lover, in one world, but still wished to obey his parents in another world that would never fully accept him for what he was and all he had become.”
Although this story does not have a “traditional” happy ending for the two lovers, it does culminate in a way that the two are reunited. I finished this book a couple of days ago, and it has kept me thinking about the book. Round has woven a dynamic story, in eloquent language, that will not disappoint readers who enjoy the intricacies and complexities of love.