The 4 men in his novel are very different from each other in their heritage and family background. They have in common a rejection by their families because the men are gay in todays terms. After such harsh rejections the men are seeking in different ways to be the person of their own creation. Because they are young the connection between them takes twist and reshaping in the course of the three periods featured over a forty year span. The book moves the characters through pre WWII to some time before stone wall. Reinhart weaves in and out the four lives using the growth of each as a person as well as the growth of the USA as a backdrop. The book is a buddy tale well told. Those who have lived through many of these same events recounted will find a trip down memory lane in many parts.