The Opal Causeway

Sue Briggs (Guest Review) - 19 Nov, 2022

This is a compelling tale about a group of people and the things that happen to them as they go about their daily lives. The reader follows Pete and his friends and family through times of love and loss, adventure and self-discovery and also through shocking moments when they are confronted by some of the more brutal realities of life in early seventies America. The author is a skilled story-teller and I was drawn in to their world so that I cared what happened to these characters. It is indeed a page turner and I very much hope that there will be a follow up novel.

Paul Goddard-Patel (Guest Review) - 06 Nov, 2022

This is an astonishing first novel from D H Yeats. It is a page turning tale that moves across London, East Kent, San Francisco and ends up in Paris, and has at its heart a rather messy love story. The characters and places are skilfully drawn and the book has at times an almost visual quality. It would make a great film!
As well as being a good tale, the book perfectly captures the zeitgeist of early 1970s London and California. The language, the references to shops, fashion and rock groups perfectly builds the ambiance.
Yeats’s book is also a chronicle of both individual and collective gay blossoming as the gay community begins to embrace the new freedoms and rights afforded by changes in the law. It highlights the impact of growing women’s liberation and assertiveness on the day to day lives of women. There are nods to the birth of the environmental movement, which make one realise how little we have moved in fifty years!
This is an important and readable novel. You might want to read it.

Maurice Greenham (Guest Review) - 16 Nov, 2022

A fascinating coming of age story of Peter a young gay photographer who faces a world at odds with his upbringing. This tension helps drive the narrative forward across continents with serious, unexpected setbacks en route. As well as being a terrific tale of love and betrayal, the book also raises universal issues such as sexuality, racism, the environment and society.

Highly recommended good read

Julian Fieldhouse (Guest Review) - 16 Nov, 2022

The young Pete is enjoying life during momentous times in early 70's London just as the fledgling Gay Rights movement is challenging old prejudices and change is a foot. Falling for a bold and confident American named Brad he travels to San Francisco to find love and liberation. With Brad's aloofness he seeks excitement and adventure with like minded freedom loving Californians and joins in the fight for rights, leading him to face the brutal oppression of a corrupt police force.

The writers attention to detail and time is exquisite with an ever so 70's Pan Am bag playing an unexpected pivotal role as the plot twists on his return to London and he finds the truth behind Brad's distance. His compassion for his beloved Grandparents is touching and the love they instilled in him from his childhood leads him back to find happiness in France across The Opal Causeway. Can't wait for more from this accomplished new writer.