We Two Together: A Novel

In the 1960s, Freddie McNaughton falls in love with Paul, a beautiful boy at his single-sex Catholic public school. They bond over Walt Whitman's poem 'We Two Boys Together Clinging and believe their love has made them immortal. Despite struggles of faith, identity, and loyalty, their story has a happy ending.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 376 pages
Publication date: 28 August 2023
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Suddenly confronted by memories of his first great love, Freddie McNaughton recounts how, together, they surmounted all obstacles until fate intervened. It's the 1960s, and the world is changing, identities being redefined, and loyalties challenged. At his single-sex Catholic public school, the volatile sixteen-year-old Freddie is discovering things about himself that he doesn't know how to handle. But falling in love with the beautiful Paul changes all that: they bond, and dream of a life together. They adopt Walt Whitman's famous poem "We Two Boys Together Clinging," which becomes their "national anthem." Their intensity spills over in their response to art, music, and poetry.

Telling his story through a series of letters written fifty years after the event and discovered after his death, Freddie remembers the struggles that they had to overcome: not least those of faith, identity, and loyalty. Yet, even as heartbreak lies in wait, this absorbing tale does not have a tragic end: the two firmly believe that their love for each other has made them immortal.

In the 1960s, a young man named Freddie McNaughton was attending a single-sex Catholic public school. He was a volatile sixteen-year-old who was discovering things about himself that he didn't know how to handle. However, his life changed when he fell in love with a beautiful boy named Paul. They bonded and dreamed of a life together, adopting Walt Whitman's famous poem "We Two Boys Together Clinging" as their "national anthem." Their love for each other was intense, and it spilled over into their response to art, music, and poetry.

As Freddie grew older, he began to tell his story through a series of letters written fifty years after the event and discovered after his death. In these letters, he remembered the struggles that they had to overcome, not least those of faith, identity, and loyalty. Despite the heartbreak that lay in wait, Freddie and Paul firmly believed that their love for each other had made them immortal.

Their love story was a testament to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. It showed that even in the face of adversity, love can conquer all and that true immortality lies not in physical life but in the memories and experiences that we share with those we love. Freddie and Paul's love story continues to inspire people to this day, reminding us of the importance of embracing our identities, staying true to our loyalties, and cherishing the moments that we spend with those we care about.

Weight: 472g
Dimension: 214 x 139 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803137636