OFM Reads: “Lies With Man” by Michael Nava

Book Review

A lawyer has to defend someone on charges of murder. A typical plotline, right? Wrong. Lies With Man brings so much more to the table. Set amidst the backdrop of the AIDS crisis and an all-important, AIDS quarantine vote, Nava’s novel manages to skirt the line between heartfelt emotional drama and political thriller beautifully. 

The heartfelt, emotional drama of the novel features our protagonist, a man with his own demons. Nava uses that history to inform the romantic relationship that builds throughout the story. This relationship is a beautiful picture tainted by the external realities and judgments that surrounded them during that time. And while this is a story set in the past, the fear and external judgment that you can feel bubbling underneath the surface of every line the protagonist and his lover speak to each other, it is a judgment I am sure real-life couples have faced and can understand.

The political thriller piece of this story is just as gripping. From the very first page, you are steeped in a story that at first seems to be a simple disagreement of ideals; a story that is so human. As the story progresses, however, you come to understand that no matter how unintentional the harmful actions the pastor of Ekklesia were, he still personifies the hypocritical behaviors of the politicians the currently run the U.S. Nava makes you want to empathize with him, all the while recognizing the selfish and damaging behavior he exemplifies.

Finally, when it comes to the actual antagonist of the story, he comes across as an almost cartoonish villain, until you take a moment to think of him. Nearly everyone in the queer community knows of someone like this. This person is not a shadowy figure who is rarely seen. They are our politicians, our faith leaders, our officers, and yes, sometimes even our family. With all of these pieces of the story combined, Nava has managed to weave an intriguing story that hits home and will leave you screaming at the words on the page.