DamianMaher

“There is no love in the gay world!” Daniel is told.
“Be a servant in the world of cocks! That’s our religion! Cock is our God Almighty!”

Daniel cannot accept this philosophy. He longs for more.

Growing up in the absence of his emotionally unstable mother, Daniel suffers at the hands of his cold and rejecting father and his second wife. His childhood insecurities deepen with the early recognition that he is gay, and he soon realizes that, because he is different, answers will have to come from within. He conceals his inner truths but secretly goes to the porn cinema and soon finds himself alone in a world of erotic fantasies. Although he fervently yearns to find true love, his insecurities propel him to choose solitude and the pleasures of anonymous sex, which so reliably protect him from being hurt and disappointed by others.

With the magic of an unexpected encounter, Daniel’s life begins to change. Although he has to face seemingly intractable prejudices—and even overt homophobia—the most difficult battle of his life is overcoming his own self-protective defenses as he tries to find love.

This One Thing documents with great subtlety and nuance Daniel’s determined odyssey of self-discovery and growth in a world where being gay remains a challenge. It will contribute to the legacy of insightful and heartfelt novels depicting experiences shared by gay men the world over.