Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026--San Antonio
Henry Henry by Allen Bratton was highly recommended by NPR and the New York Times. It is set in Britain and built around the history of a family that has been a part of the aristocracy for 400 years or more--a family that is also very Catholic (and ridden with Catholic guilt) that refused to convert during the Reformation. The story is set mostly in the 2010s with flashbacks into the late 1900s. The protagonist is Hal (short for Harry), the eldest son and the heir to Henry who is the Duke of Lancaster. Hal is what the people of his social class would probably call a rascal because of his heavy drinking and use of drugs leading to outrageous and scandalous public behavior. More ordinary people there would call him an arsehole. But as the information about his and the family's life builds, there is a shocking revalation for why he might be this way. The title of the book references two Henrys--it's Hal's father and his grandfather. And quickly you learn that Hal's father wasn't first in line for succession. His uncle Richard was, and the title only transferred to his father Henry when Richard, a gay man, died of AIDS. Early in the book it is revealed that homosexual attraction has been a part of the family for decades. Richard was the first to live his life as one. Hal is the second. It is never defined to what extent the men may have been bisexual, but it is obvious that the others have not been content with being completely straight after marrying women to have children and maintain the family line. The book carries us through the battles between Hal and his father, the secrets within the family, their unhappiness, and the realization that the family pretige and wealth are declining. Behind all this is a real shocker revealed by Hal that has been a major reason for him acting the way he does. I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.
