Unnerved, Philip quickly gets away from the officer once they reach Amphib Island. Later in the day as he meets with the officer handling his case, he is introduced to the officer from the car, Commander Tim Danelaw, and something stirs inside of him, something he struggles to keep hidden. Danelaw notices something of Philip's true nature and takes him under his wing, hoping to guide him to understanding and acceptance of who he is. Danelaw knows that Philip will only truly be happy once he has accepted himself. Otherwise, his life will be a miserable one.

But, Philip is being groomed to take over the family bank, one of the most successful in Oklahoma. Certain ideals have been set upon him and are fixed into his being. Yet, he knows that deep down, he has feelings for Tim Danelaw but must keep them hidden both for his family and for his place in society.

"Quatrefoil" is a great novel dealing with self-acceptance. Philip's character grows and changes from the confused, somehwat closed-minded boy at the beginning to a man who understands himself and what makes life happy for him. He's learned, thanks to Danelaw, how to balance his public life and his private life. It also gives a positive look at homosexuality in the 1940's without being tawdry and preachy.


A Magnificent Love Story & Tribute to the Human Spirit   January 9, 2006
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

"The year is 1946. A brash young naval officer faces court-martial for standing up to a lazy officer in the closing days of World War II. In the midst of this turmoil, he meets the man who will change his life... When it was first published in 1950, Quatrefoil marked a milestone in gay writing. Now, four decades later, Quatrefoil remains a magnificent love story and a tribute to the human spirit. In a new epilogue the author reveals, for the first time, the story behind his ground-breaking novel.(...)


The philosophy of 'coming out'............   May 23, 2006
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

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XXXX SPOILERS AHEAD XXXX SPOILERS AHEAD XXXX SPOILERS AHEAD XXXX

Very good coverage of this story has already been provided, but at this point in the flow of these few reviews, let me* share my thoughts on what our author has given us.

Here we have a tale of extremely ethereal love.....and I mean love on the highest planes. Perhaps our early 20s protagonist (Phillip) and his mid-30s mentor (Timothy) should be pictured by we readers as two philosophers.......but further than that, as two philosophers having a relationship and making love in the fog.......and yet further, doing it in slow motion. Or, as well, you might see it as the story of a very young man (emotionally stunted and distressed) who, though he will never be heterosexually happy, must be "philosophized" out of the closet by a considerably older gay man. He must be "talked into" being gay, as it were.

If, in advance of purchasing and reading this novel, you are hoping for even a kiss (and description thereof), between our two main characters, you will be sorely disappointed. And, of course, as I'm sure was a necessity for most stories of queer (must use the right term for those times) love in the postwar 1940s, the ending has to result in death and heartbreak.

*This coming from someone who, while college educated long ago with a number of English courses and a writing class or two, never has thought himself capable of successfully writing (aren't we the ones who make the loudest reviewers?)



Love wins through   December 2, 2006
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Set in 1946 after the Second World War mainly in Seattle, Phillip Froelich is facing Court Marshall following insubordination to his captain during an incident towards the end of the war. On his journey to Seattle Phillip encounters Tim Danelaw from whom he accepts a lift, not knowing then who Tim is or how much he will subsequently figure in his life. The Court Marshall turns out to be the least of Phillips troubles as he battles with among others his family, his fiancee and her mother, and his own sexuality.
I found this to be a really absorbing novel, rich in detail and peopled with interesting well drawn characters. The plot twists and turns intriguingly and as the story develops Phillip becomes an ever more complex and appealing individual.
First published in 1950 it reveals what it was like for homosexuals when such an inclination could mean ruin, and so makes all the more interesting reading today. This is a very moving, sad and yet positive book which I enjoyed more and more as the story progressed.