Charming Young Man
At first glance, Eliot Schrefer’s Charming Young Man appears to be a romance novel. The story is set in Paris at the end of the 19th century, and while there are many glittering parties, fabulous gowns, stolen kisses, bulging thighs, and even a hero on horseback, this tale is no bodice-ripper.
Schrefer’s novel explores the life of French composer and pianist Léon Delafosse and his brief friendships with the celebrated author Marcel Proust and Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fézensac. The three young men occasionally collaborate but more often viciously compete with one another to reach the highest rung of the European social ladder.
The author skillfully explores the anguish of trying to make authentic emotional connections at a time when revealing one’s sexual identity could prove deadly. Léon is a sweet, naive, and gifted musician who desperately tries to find his place among his more experienced peers. Slowly and painfully, he finds something so much better—himself.
What makes this novel exceptional is the author’s ability to articulate Léon’s internal struggle to accept his sexuality and find the courage to do the unthinkable: share his identity with the people he loves. Although the event in this story took place over one hundred years ago, the feelings of shame, rejection, and fear that the characters navigate will strongly resonate with young audiences. As a parent, I sincerely appreciated how this story helped me understand what children risk when they trust parents to love them as they are. I highly recommend it for romance fans ages 14 and up.
