Tammy Larson is stuck inside herself. A member of a conservative Christian High school and church in Orange County, California in 1977, she’s constantly making herself small in fear that someone will figure out she is a closeted lesbian. While her family gathers to organize for antigay political campaigns and protests, Tammy secrets writes a journal dedicated to gay advocate Harvey Milk of San Francisco. Her school requires a summer project, matching Tammy with a penpal at a Catholic school in San Francisco. Tammy meets Sharon Hawkins, a teenager who has a gay brother and is pretty sure she is as well. Soon, their letters become the one place they can be themselves. They will use this new found freedom to stand up for who they are.
For readers looking for queer historical fiction that doesn’t disappoint, I wholeheartedly recommend Robin Talley’s Music from Another World. While people of the LGBTQIA+ community have many more freedoms today than the 1970’s, there is still a long way to go. Tammy’s letter to Harvey Milk are heartbreaking, especially as she desperately searched for a way to be herself while constantly being told that her beliefs are evil. Sharon’s descriptions of protests in San Francisco set a scene for fairly recent history in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Music from Another World is a smart read, and it’s nice to be able to make a recommendation for readers who aren’t seeing themselves represented in young adult literature.
Music from Another World is available now from Inkyard Press.
