A key element in many of the stories told in this book is families which do not and cannot understand homosexuality until it comes to roost at home. The loneliness which an emerging gay personality must feel in the solitude that characterizes most American farms must be overbearing at times. The stories told in "Farm Boys" are sometimes touching, sometimes funny, sometimes sexy and virtually always compelling. They can proclaim like the Marines."the few, the proud".
I really hand it to farm people and gained a new respect for them. So physical and demanding-nothing happening or getting done unless YOU do it!! Not like the urban city life I was born into. It would be kind of like growing up during the Depression at any age or time period. How could you live an open life? I think someone growing up on a farm would have a much stronger viewpoint on life. So I can see where most of them would end up leaving. Suppose I wouldn't of had a choice if I had been born to a farm family-but I certainly do see where these fellas have a 'hard row to hoe' (yes, a pun but still serious) because if they DO like farm life, they wouldn't have such a good life being gay. I've got to hand it to every one of them, I don't know if I could have 'cut it' on a farm. Some of them went into more detail about farm life than others-some of them told more about their lives AFTER leaving the farm, but all in all they were real interesting. I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories very much and learned quite a bit about lives of gay men who grew up on farms.