Becoming Ted: The joyful and uplifting novel from the author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

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I fell in love with Albert Entwistle in 2021 and this year Ted Ainsworth has successfully stolen another piece of my heart. Here are some of the words that replace “says” in this book: tweets, chimes, wheedles, observes, attempts, chips in, warbles, stammers, bleats, mewls, squeals, gushed, splutters, mutters, seethes, squeaks, croaks, snaps, booms, thunders, pipes. Ted is the main character, a gay man reflecting on his marriage, his relationships with his parents, trying to fulfil expectations and held back by an overwhelming sense of duty. We are definitely a lot safer and more accepted than in many places around the world, but things could still be a lot better than what they are today.

But despite some completely natural resentment and frustration, Ted's inner monologue is full of compassion.Ted Ainsworth has been together with his husband Giles for more than twenty years when, with no warning, Giles leaves him for another man. They each have their own personal demons that they have to shed and it was interesting to see how their conflicts arose with Ted and how they were resolved in a realistic way. And I have read plenty of books in the present tense - I mean, I'm sure I have; but the minute I read the first sentence, there was something about it that didn't sit right with me.

The story kicks off with Ted being dumped by his husband, a man he's been with for 20 years, and this event is the catalyst for Ted to make changes in his life; losing weight, finding love and becoming a drag queen.

I hope I explained this well and understandable but like once again this was super great and I just loved how we sort of got these other views and then more insight into these characters lives) Ted is so likeable, he’s sweet and kind, funny, just great and you feel for him so much. I loved it and although I haven’t yet read Matt Cain’s previous book, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, this is on my reading list. When he applies this compassion to himself, along with some coaxing from his friend Denise and his new loving partner, he becomes who he was always meant to be. Zijn beste vriendin Denise wil er voor Ted zijn maar heeft haar eigen geheimen, de oude Stanley heeft een mooie en scherpe kijk op het leven, ik snap niet hoe Ted het zo lang heeft uitgehouden met de denigrerende Giles en de Poolse Oskar heeft een belangrijke rol, omdat hij ook een bijzonder en ontroerend verhaal heeft, wat het geheel versterkt.

Their romance is very much telling and not showing - for a book that's 466 pages long, I don't feel like they interacted enough. Additionally, homophobia is a present theme both externally in how Ted thinks back to school but mainly with Oskar and Andrzej with the scenes in Poland in the further and more recent past - mentioning LGBT-free zones and Anti-gay protests/marches - but a major part is internal homophobia and how one overcomes it. Unfortunately he doesn’t even like ice cream – he never has although he has never voiced this to his family (whose motto is ‘Family First’) – guilt and duty keeping him silent.If they are each to find happiness, they must both make changes to their lives and put themselves first. A charming, heart-warming and surprising story about love, friendship and learning to be true to yourself, by journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Matt Cain, the author of the amazing The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle.