His Light in the Dark

from Insight ::: 02.13.2023

New rules would limit sugar in school meals for ﬁrst time

more. Some in our past were able to boldly live and speak their truth through their words; others couldn’t. All have lent their unique voices to the literary history of this month. I honor them as such, and I encourage you to check out their work.

By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

His Light In The Dark

By Remmy Duchene

Thank you, Carter

G. Woodson, for being the visionary behind Black History

Month. Of course, Black History Month 2023 isn’t complete without those of us who stand at the intersection of Black and LGBT. Today, we have out and proud celebrities such as Jason Collins, Lee Daniels, Wanda Sykes, Kelvin Atkinson, Jussie Smollett, Laverne Cox, Sampson, Li’l Nas X, Paris Barclay, Azmarie Livingston, RuPaul, Angela Davis, Frank Ocean, Azealia Banks, Don Lemon, Johnny Mathis, E. Denise Simmons, Emil Wilbekin, Raven-Symone, Andre Leon Talley, L.Z. Granderson, Billy Porter, to name a few.

We also have our LGBT authors and poets who paved the way for us, inspired us to be the best we can be today.

Our legacy includes such brothas and sistahs as Alice DunbarNelson, Bruce Nugent, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Audre Lorde, Pat Parker, Jewelle Gomez, Lorraine Hansberry, Ann Allen

Shockley, Janet Mock, Joseph Beam, E. Lynn Harris, Essex Hemphill, Assotto Saint, Dawn Lundy Martin, Anita Cornwell, Mike Warren, bell hooks, Nella Larsen, Toni Newman, Angelina Grimke, Samuel

Delany, Alice Walker, Octavia

Butler, Wallace Thurman, Sapphire, Cheryl Clarke, Ricky

Laurentiis, James Earl Hardy, Terrance Dean, Frederick Smith, Stanley Bennett Clay, Wyatt

O’Brian Evans, Jacqueline Woodson, Melvin Dixon, and

That being said, in honor of Valentine’s Day, His Light in the Dark by Remmy Duchene caught my eye and my rapt attention. In the M/M romance genre, Duchene stands out as an author who features multicultural romance and male couples of color.

Set in Toronto, we meet Maxim Hagan, a 37-yearold Jamaican military oﬃcer who has returned from a tour of duty after a roadside bomb leaves him with permanent damage to his leg and PTSD.

At an early age, Maxim’s despicable father walked out on him, his mother Ada, and his younger brother Trajan, leaving him with psychological scars and a distorted sense of responsibility. Choosing the military rather than college to lessen the ﬁnancial burden on his mother, he used it to run from his sexuality and the trunks of guilt and shame he’s been carrying around for years. With the help of Trajan, Maxim opens an auto repair shop. His pride makes him reluctant to accept help, but Trajan prevails. Enter Ethan Garrick, an out-and-proud, 30-something Black gay man who is a graphic designer; it is Ethan who designs the logos for Maxim’s auto shop. With his parents divorced and deceased, Ethan lives with the disappointment of knowing they never wanted kids, that he was the result of a drunken “accident.” His parents were there, but only up to a point, and he craves that sense of family and a good man.

Through mutual friends Libby, Bane, and Kono, Maxim and Ethan meet. For Ethan, the heat was on the moment he laid eyes on Maxim, but his gaydar was malfunctioning. Maxim didn’t make the process easy for him, leaving Ethan constantly guessing, “Is he or isn’t he?” To Maxim, Ethan represents his greatest fear and his greatest desire rolled up into one irresistible package. For someone whose sex life consisted of occasional, random hookups, a man like Ethan, who wants more, terriﬁes him. The fear factor and self-worth issues were in full bloom at the thought of coming out.

The pull of Maxim is strong. Drawing him out about his past and ﬁnally having him admit he’s gay made root canal work look like a picnic. Ethan, however, sees something special in this broken man, more than Maxim sees in himself. They can’t stay away from each other, and Ethan is OK with the idea of a dirty little secret--until he becomes one.

Even with the love of family and friends, Maxim is in a prison of his own making because of the fear factor; there’s an adage out there that says, “The darker you are, the harder it is to come out.”

Through their baby steps and the times they behave like idiots, will Maxim and Ethan win their happily-ever-after? Will Maxim conquer his demons and realize that Ethan is his ride-or-die guy?

Since Duchene’s novel features a Black male couple, I applaud her for challenging the stereotypes surrounding Black LGBT men with the masculine bent of Maxim. Maxim and Ethan’s evolving love life is, in all probability, closer to the truth. If you’re looking for steam and heat, this book has it in abundance. At the end of the day, it embodies the spirit of ohana (family), unconditional love, and that accepting help is the mark of a strong man. His Light in the Dark is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Dreamspinner Press. Many thanks, Remmy, for adding to the rich diversity of Black Love.

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FEB 23

MASON JENNINGS “Minnesota Folk King.” Rolling Stone