EDIT: Thank you for your interest. This giveaway is now closed.
Growing up gay in pre-gentrified Brooklyn was a perilous process of self-discovery for Steven Gaines, the New York Times bestselling author of Philistines at the Hedgerow. In his upcoming memoir, One of These Things First, Gaines taps into his remarkable powers of observation and recall to tell his story, one that takes him from the streets of Brooklyn to Manhattan's infamous Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, where a brilliant young psychiatrist promises to cure young Gaines of his homosexuality and provide him a "normal life."
As you can see from the below sampling of praise, One of These Things First is an incredible book worth celebrating…and that is exactly what we're going to do. The first five people to email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com will receive a free copy!
"An extraordinary book. Incredibly moving and beautifully written." ―Jay McInerney, bestelling author of Bright Lights, Big City
"By turns comic, honest, and riveting, Gaines tells the story of a well-meaning shrink and his troubled young charge locked in a war of wills to ease ‘the trauma of homosexuality’ and restore his humanity in a conservative world." ―Publishers Weekly
"A candid, entertaining memoir…A spirited narrative of a hard-won coming-of-age.” ―Kirkus
"Years ago Dominick Dunne called Steven Gaines 'a born storyteller.' If anything, we now know Gaines was meant to write his own powerful, heart-wrenching, and funny life story. I could not put it down." ―Steven Petrow, The Washington Post
"A poignant and funny book that proves it does get better." ―Joy Behar, co-host of The View
"This is a memoir for anyone who loves Paddy Chayefsky and Hanya Yanagihara. Gaines has turned his considerable journalistic talents onto his younger self, writing a lyrical, wry and precisely excavated book which zaps you back to that moment when you first wonder, ‘Is this really who I am? What does it mean to not be what I think I’m supposed to be? Can I change?’” ―Carl Swanson, New York Magazine
"Growing up gay in pre-trendy Brooklyn wasn't always a joyride, as I personally realized ages ago. But Gaines knows it even better. His harrowing account of being a suicidal 15-year-old who checked into Payne Whitney is eye opening, touching and ultimately triumphant because of how well he turned out." ―Michael Musto, columnist and author of Manhattan on the Rocks
One of These Things First goes on sale tomorrow, August 9th. Be sure to pick it up!
-Chris