Blue Eyed Stranger
Publisher Description
Billy Wright has a problem: he’s only visible when he’s wearing a mask. That’s fine when he’s performing at country fairs with the rest of his morris dancing troupe. But when he takes the paint off, his life is lonely and empty, and he struggles with crippling depression.
Martin Deng stands out from the crowd. After all, there aren’t that many black Vikings on the living history circuit. But as the founder of a fledgling historical re-enactment society, he’s lonely and harried. His boss doesn’t like his weekend activities, his warriors seem to expect him to run everything single-handedly, and it’s stressful enough being one minority without telling the hard men of his group he’s also gay.
When Billy’s and Martin’s societies are double-booked at a packed county show, they know at once they are kindred spirits, united by a deep feeling of connectedness to their history and culture. But they’re also both hiding in their different ways, and they need each other to be brave enough to take their masks off and still be seen.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Beecroft's very English contemporary romance, a standalone linked with Trowchester Blues, is note perfect from start to finish. Martin Deng, a 20-something schoolteacher, is proud to be the only Sudanese Viking in Bretwalda, a battle reenactment troupe. His towering physical presence stands in stark contrast to Billy Wright, a long, lean, and very white Morris dancer. Yet from the moment they meet, the two are certain they're meant to be together. Martin and Billy have much in common, especially a love of all things historical, but they differ on one very critical point: Billy is openly gay, and Martin is steadfastly closeted, fearing the loss of both his job and his fellow reenactors' respect. Beecroft's depictions of Martin's cognitive dissonance and Billy's clinical depression are superbly sensitive, infusing every part of how they interact as they strive to resolve their individual and mutual conflicts. These two highly credible, intelligent characters are portrayed with humor and pathos in a narrative awash in English historical references and local color.
