My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023--San Antonio 

My Policeman is a bestseller by Bethan Roberts which has been made into a popular film with middle-of-the road reviews.  In the book, it is a sad story, but one that represents what happened very often in Britain (and elsewhere) in the 1950s and 1960s.  It is the story of a gay man who felt he had to marry a woman to hide his natural proclivity.  By doing this, he trapped a woman into an unhappy marriage who is questioning why it is less than she desires.  At the same time, he becomes the lover of another man living life as a single person.  Because of the marriage, the gay lover is also trapped into a life that is less than desired, too.  There is misogyny; the married man expects his wife to put up with him being the boss and accepting that he may not be home when she wants him home which makes the wife even more miserable.  Everyone makes mistakes, though, and their lives fall apart.  One other side character is a single female teacher who becomes a friend of the wife.  She expects nothing, but friendship.  All suffer sad lives in a way, but there is some hope at the end of the story.  I gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5.