Misfortune: A Novel. Wesley Stace. Back Bay Books. Reprint edition. 2006.

Book review by Tracey
I have to admit right off the bat that this novel must have been over my head. Some of it was entertaining. Some of it seemed the wandering of an unusual mind. Wesley Stace is the musician John Wesley Harding. While I am familiar with the name, I am not familiar with any of his work. This novel is his first.

Mr. Stace tells a tale about a foundling, saved from death by an effeminate lord who has no wish to procreate but needs an heir. He has lost his sister to death. He can love no one else. His mother is a controlling monster. He solves all his problems by rescuing an infant left to die by the side of the road. The baby is a male, but as the lord sees his foundling as a replacement for his dead sister, he cannot accept the male identity and chooses to believe that the baby is a girl. The baby is raised to a teenager thinking he is a young lady. Eventually the truth comes out--how could it not? Everyone suffers. At this point, I was wondering just where else Mr. Stace could lead us. The story continues, of course, but by this time I must confess I was wondering why I should finish it. It was so full of tortured conflicted identity that I couldn’t relate to it anymore. Perhaps there is some psychology in here that would be helpful to another person. Perhaps another person could appreciate the deeper psychological meaning behind this book. I am too simple. I read to entertain myself. After a point it just wasn’t entertaining anymore.

Why don’t you read it and let me know what you think? Please vote at the poll and leave a comment, or e-mail me at .

I acquired the book at Barnes and Noble Booksellers on one of the discount tables.

Tracey.