From Lewis DeSimone, the author of Chemistry. This is Edward: architect, friend, lover, mystery. Everyone has their own Edward, a kaleidoscope of images struggling to define a man who has never let anyone get too close. But now, Edward is dying, and all of his loved ones are desperate to understand him, to connect fully with him, before it’s too late.
In this beautiful and haunting novel, Lewis DeSimone, author of the acclaimed Chemistry, explores the hidden depths of love, the struggle to maintain a balance between connection and individuality. Edward’s illness is set against the backdrop of a sea change in gay culture, a time when AIDS is assumed to be simply a manageable condition, and when the drive for assimilation through marriage, or the military has begun to trump the distinct characteristics that were once a source of pride. Deftly shifting perspectives to paint a compelling portrait of a man and a community on the cusp of a critical transition, The Heart’s History gives hope that, despite the impossibility of ever achieving true oneness with another person, it is the attempt itself that gives life its greatest joy.
This is Edward with his life ahead of him. He’s twenty-five at most, skin
still smooth and pink, hair thick and falling absently over his brow. He’s
standing before the floor-length windows in the Hancock Observatory.
Copley Square can be dimly seen in the distance, a Gothic corner of
Trinity Church rising anachronistically against the gray of Boylston
Street. Edward’s arms are spread wide, as if to embrace the city beneath
him. There’s a faint smile on his face, less pleasure than anticipation. He’s
new in town, he’s young—all he can see is the future. The camera catches
only a three-quarter profile, so you can’t clearly make out his eyes, the
green eyes that turn everything he sees to gold. When Edward looks at
you, soft, moist eyes reflecting the light, you know that even you, as long
as he can see you, even you are beautiful.
