Review: White Flag

Title: White Flag
Author: Thom Lane
Publisher: Loose Id
Publication Date: July 2009
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 68 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5

Blurb:
Charlie is a nomad, a travel writer who will never settle down. Easy come, easy go: all his boyfriends have been flings or one-night stands. "Love them and leave them" is his motto, the rule he lives by. Until he meets Matthieu one day, by the side of a French canal. After a long hot night together, Charlie realises that this is at last the man he wants to keep, the perfect companion for his wanderlust life.

Matt is a beauty, a treasure, a joy—a man who knows just where he belongs, and means to stay there. His family has made wine here for generations; this valley is his home, and not even his passion for Charlie can shift him.

There can be no doubt of their love, but their own natures contrive to pull them apart—unless one surrenders. But will rolling stone or rooted tree raise the white flag?

Review:

Characters:
Charlie is a travel writer on assignment in France to write an article on canal boating. He's a nomad with a London flat he could just as well do without, who enjoys traveling the world far too much to settle. He knows what he wants but also does a good job of pushing it out of his lap when what he wants falls into it. He's adaptable and respectful, willing to please others but also capable of playful irreverence. In short: he's rather a charming rake.

Matthieu is what Charlie is not: he found where he belongs and is not ready to give it up. He has purpose in working for his uncle's winery and being surrounded by family, and is absolutely baffled by Charlie's wanderlust. He's less hesitant to pursue what he wants and is prepared to cling to it once he's gotten it, not wanting to let anything go without at least trying to make it work. He's as charming as Charlie, in his own way, and certainly very easy to like.

The relationship between Charlie and Matthieu is adorably awkward, sweetly comfortable, and satisfyingly steamy by turns. Their initial tap dancing was downright cute, and the result of it was definitely hot. The scene at the pool and the ease they display with each other never fails to make me smile.

The supporting cast was universally appealing, with my high point being Grandmére. They beautifully served to further define Matthieu, as well as to build the world in which he lived.

Story:
The story is carried by the characters, rather than driven by events. Because of this, not a whole lot happens--and not-a-whole-lot happens very well. Much of the story involves the building of relationships, not only between Charlie and Matthieu, but also between Charlie and Matthieu's family.

Writing:
I found the manner in which the story was told to be delightful. Written in the first person from Charlie's point of view, the story flows as easily as though it was a conversation between him and the reader. Things that would normally drive me nuts (like sentence fragments) just worked here.

And, really, things like this just make happy:

At least, I told stories I'd picked up in my travels, and he talked about life in the valley here. We hardly actually mentioned ourselves at all. They were stories about chance-met strangers and close neighbours, always other people, other lives; but they served well enough for self-portraits. This is how I live, who I live among; the only person missing from this narrative is myself. See that gap I left, the absence in the story? That's where I fit, exactly. Like portraits drawn in silhouette and shadow. We gave ourselves away with every word.

This style carries through even the sex scenes, which are mildly graphic and very nicely done. The use of the euphemism greedy little tyrant also makes me smile.

Overall:
If I had to pick only a handful of books to take with me to a desert island, this would be one of them. Although it's fairly short, it is a definite argument for quality over quantity--and the length makes it perfect for a quick comfort read.