Under the Rainbow

"A novel." Says so right there on the cover. I'm not convinced. This is a collection of linked short stories, and even that is being generous; they're more like vignettes.

The background for these character sketches: An LGBT rights organization called Acceptance Across America has determined, through some combination of polling and analysis of social media posts, that Big Burr, Kansas, is "the most homophobic town in America." On the theory that people who actually know gay people are less likely to be homophobic, AAA sends a 15-person task force to live in Big Burr for two years.

This is pretty much nonsense on every level, of course. What changes minds about gay folks is learning that someone you already care about is gay; random show more strangers showing up with a cheerful "Hello, bigots! I'm a gay person! Get to know me!" is not going to have the desired effect.

Laskey gives us a dozen chapters set during the two-year experiment, each focused on a different person, some Big Burr residents and some task force members. A POV character from one chapter might show up briefly in the background of some other chapter, but no one gets a full-length plot. Everyone gets one momentary glimpse into their lives, then it's on to the next. Laskey mostly avoids the worst of the bigotry; her characters are usually either task force members or Big Burr residents who find that the arrival of AAA is causing them to examine their own unresolved sexual identities.

When she does attempt a chapter from one of the most hostile residents, it's the least successful in the book. Laskey is unable either to demonstrate or to generate any empathy for that point of view. I suppose that's not surprising; I would find it hard to live in that mindset at all, much less attempt to make the character a sympathetic one. But Laskey doesn't even come close. Christine is a cartoon villain, only a mustache away from Snidely Whiplash.

So we don't get any characters we can follow for the length of the book, and the ostensible plot never takes flight, which it really can't when it's built around so foolishly conceived a scheme. Hearts and minds are overwhelmingly not changed; the AAA leaves Big Burr having made only a few superficial changes (the high school now has one all-gender restroom! Hurrah!).

Laskey's intentions are good, and one or two of her vignettes carry some emotional force. A Big Burr man who can no longer ignore his own attraction to men is the most moving character in the book; he's also the only character to whom Laskey returns for a second chapter, in her "ten years later" epilogue. But like the social experiment at the center of the book, Under the Rainbow fizzles out without much happening. show less

When Big Burr, Kansas, is named the "most homophobic town in America," a taskforce from a well-meaning nonprofit locates there for two years to try to change hearts and minds. This is a series of loosely connected stories about various members of the taskforce and residents of Big Burr during those two years. Each of the stories is told from a different person's perspective in first-person present tense and could stand on its own. Each is about a person who's keeping something from themselves or others, sometimes having to do with being gay, sometimes about other things. A surprising number of the stories are about motherhood. I warmed up to this slowly, and I found some of the stories to be a bit ham-handed, but in the end, I really show more liked it. It helps that Laskey treats all her characters, even the homophobes, as real people. show less

I loved this book so much! I saw it at the library and was hooked by the premise, and the more I read the more I fell in love with it. It's one I've already added to my personal library.
Having grown up in a small town like Big Burr, I am quite familiar with the resistant-to-change attitudes that some people possess. In many of the chapters there are moments of violence and homophobia, and I was equal parts angered and saddened. There were several characters who I grew attached to while reading and I was sad when their chapter ended, because I wanted to read more. Although it was a nice surprise to see that in some chapters there would be a mention/update of a certain character. Without spoiling anything, there is an epilogue and I liked show more how it was uplifting and not saccharine.
The author has a true gift for writing complex and yet relatable characters, as well as having sharp dialogue. I am looking forward to reading her next book. show less

Under the Rainbow reads like a YA novel. Although I found it entertaining, I think it would have been much better with less characters and a deeper look into this premise.

Queer activists move to America's most homophobic town as a task force.
Some of these chapters originally appeared as short stories so the novel feels very disjointed. I found the book much lighter than I expected based on the blurb and would have preferred much more bite. There seemed to be too many generic soccer mom types and the homophobia felt very in your face (vandalism, threats, verbal abuse). Would have felt more authentic if the book had presented homophobia in a much more subtle way.
It was an easy read.

Celia Laskey’s novel Under the Rainbow enfolds like a series of unconnected short stories that take place in Big Burr, Kansas one of the most homophobic cities in America. The cast of characters includes closeted men, activists, gay friendly, and anti-gay straight people. As the novel progresses, they intercept beautifully and leave you moved to tears by the conclusion.

A LGBTQ social activist group moves into the most homophobic town in America, Big Burr, Kansas. As they meet and work with local people to show there’s nothing to fear from homosexual people, slow progress is made. Each chapter is told by a different person’s point of view. Although we don’t know exactly what happens to each, the last chapter told 10 years after the story, shows how things have changed for the better and that the town has become more accepting of people who don’t share the same life styles. It is political and feminist. Laskey is an author who is observant and able to give depth to a wide range of citizens in Big Burr and her debut novel is worth reading.