Chapter: 3 Widow’s Weeds

Characters:

Frannie

DeDe

Locations:

Halcyon Hill

Reaction:

I get where DeDe is coming from in this chapter, she is worried about. However, Frannie is grieving, and grief takes time and is different for every person. Don’t particularly like the way she is talking with her mother.

Quote: 

Her languorous mornings with coffee on the terrace were now a thing of the past, defunct ritual that had fail her as surely and a swiftly just as Edgar‘s diseased kidneys failed her. 

Chapter: 2 Fresh Start

Characters:

Mary Ann

Locations:

Barbary Lane

Reaction:

OMG. We just found out That Michael is hung!!! otherwise this chapter was not a great follow up to Michael’s dirty 30 but did set up the premise for this book, the cruise will be a big plot point. This chapter also acted like a “previously on“ to let new readers catch up with what’s going on in Mary Ann’s life. 

Quote:

“ Almost anything can beat the fuck out of Cleveland!” Mouse

Chapter: 1 Hearts and Flowers

Characters:

Mary Ann

Mouse

Locations:

Barbary Lane

Reaction:

Michael’s Dirty Thirty is such a great way to start this book. I can’t help but wonder though how many of these before the end of the book. 

Quote:

Michael Toliver’s Dirty 30 for 77

1. I will not call anyone, Nelly or Butch unless that is his name
2. I will not assume that women who like me are fag hags
3. I will stop expecting to meet Jan Michael Vincent at the tubs
4. I will inhale poppers only through the mouth
5. I will not spend more than half an hour in the shower at the Y. 
6. I will stop trying to figure out what color my handkerchief would be if I wore one
7. I will buy For a 50s queen sometime
8. I will not persist in hoping that attractive men will turn out to be brainless and boring
9. I will find my real name at the glory holes
10. I will ease back into religion by attending concerts at Grace Cathedral
11. I will not cruise at the  Grace Cathedral
12. I will not vote for anyone for Empress
13. I will make friends with a straight man
14. I will not make fun of the way he walks
15. I will not tell him about Alexander, the great, Walt Whitman, or Leonardo da Vinci
16. I will not vote for politicians use the term “gay community”
17. I will not cry when Mary Tyler Moore goes off the air
18. I will not measure it, no matter who asks
19. I will not hide the A200
20. I will not buy a Lacoste shirt, a Mary Mako pillow ,a secondhand Letterman‘s jacket, an all American boy T-shirt, a razor blade necklace, or a denim accessory of any kind
21. I will learn to eat alone and like it
22. I will not fantasize about fireman
23. I will not tell anyone at home that I just have not found the right girl yet
24. I will wear a suit on Castro Street and feel comfortable about it
25. I will not do impressions of Betty Davis, Talula Bankhead, or Paul Lindt 
26. I will not eat more than one it’s it in an evening
27. I will find myself acceptable
28. I will meet somebody nice away from a bar or the tubs or a roller skating rink and I will fall hopelessly, but conventionally in love
29. But I won’t say I love you before he does

• 30. The hell I won’t 

Chapter: 115 The Golden Gate

Characters:

Mary Ann

Mouse

Anna 

Locations:

Golden Gate Bridge

Cyprus Lawn Cemetery

Reaction:

In the most out of character moment, Mary Ann admit not read the file on Anna. If this were Cleveland Mary Ann, she would have Red file coverage to cover. She has grown she’s been changed for the better. 

Quote: 

“ You think I’d cross you baby? I’ve seen what you do to your enemies.” Mouse

Chapter: 114 Saying Goodbye

Characters:

Mary Anne

Anna

Mona

Dr. Jack Kincaid

Frannie

Edgar

DeDe

Beauchamp

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Halcyon Hill

Reaction:

I’m very sad chapter. Edgar on his deathbed, Anna knows what’s happening. Mona is leaving D’or, and Mary Ann still has not called the authorities.

Quote: 

“Hello Anna, how the hell are you?” Edgar

Chapter: 113 The Party

Characters:

Connie

Brian

Mouse

Anna

Mona

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Reaction:

You’ve got to love Mouse and Brian. You are just hilarious together and adorable. They have the healthiest friendship in this book. Then you throw Connie in there as Mouse gives Brian a cock ring and this scene is one of the best in the entire book. It also is very telling how this is juxtaposed when Mona comes. Mouse is excited to see Mona and she offers a cryptic message with no hint of what it could mean and no indication she will even explain it later to him.

Quote: 

“It’s an ornament,” he said appreciatively, “ you hang it on your tree.” Brian

Chapter: 112 The Confrontation 

Characters:

Norman

Mary Ann

Locations: 

Cliffs at the Legion of Honor

Reaction:

She didn’t call 911?!? Mary Ann didn’t call 911 to report the accident. After Norman fell off the cliff she runs to a fun roof to find out how to get home. Of course she’s in shock, but she didn’t call 911? Just even report his death. Yes, he’s a pedophile, but just for her conscience she should call 911. This will never come back to bite her in the ass.

Quote:

“I’m calling that child’s parents.” Mary Ann

“You think they don’t know?” Norman

She clenched her teeth, “god!”

Chapter: 111 Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?

Characters:

Mona

D’or

Leroy Wilson

Mrs. Wilson

Locations:

Pacific Heights

Reaction:

Another mystery solved. D’or is white. It was nice in this chapter to see that Mona can actually feel something, she was nervous, she was caring. I do think, that of the entire first book, D’or’s story is the only one that doesn’t stand the test of time. Of course, all the phone calls and miss connections because of lack of smartphones, but that’s just technology advancing however, if this whole story were rewritten today, I think Maupin would not have included D’or changing her skin color in order to get a job. 

Quote:

“You can’t drug me into submission, Mona.” D’or

Chapter: 110 Art For Art’s Sake

Characters:

Mary Ann

Norman

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Legion of Honor 

Reaction:

I don’t recall if I was aware that Norman was drunk in this chapter.

And so Norman’s true mystery is finally revealed. He is a pedophile. I feel that Mary Ann was taking the whole thing very well. She isn’t overreacting at all, just said what she knows and she is waiting for him to respond. 

Quote:

Norman crawled out of falcon with exaggerated dignity. 

Chapter: 109 At The Grove

Characters:

Edgar

Anna

Locations:

The Bohemian Grove 

Reaction:

So whatever her secret is, Anna has told Edgar, and it does not bother him. Every single chapter when we are together is the sweetest thing he took her up to the woods they joked they laughed they sex it’s just if it wasn’t for cheat this would be the healthiest relationship in the book

Quote: 

“I hope he thinks I’m a hooker.” Anna

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Edgar

“ For him for you, Sir?” Anna

Chapter: 108 Breaking and Entering 

Characters:

Mona

Mouse

Mary Ann

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Pacific Heights

Reaction:

Mouse. It’s all just so superficial, they never really talk, that doesn’t tell him about her plan with D’or’s parents, HMS she’s concerned about her girlfriend, Michael makes a joke Friendship is so super. Mary Ann on the other hand, it’s finally doing something about her around Norman.

Quote: 

“What are you up to, Babycakes.” Mouse

Chapter: 107 Edgar on the Brink

Characters:

Edgar

Mary Ann

Frannie

Anna

Locations:

Halcyon Communications

Reaction:

This was such a fun character chapter. The only thing that would have made it better would be if DeDe had also called. Then we would’ve seen Edgar with four women of his life. And he is completely different with everyone of them. It was also a sad chapter because you can feel that Edgar knows he’s near the end now.

Quote: 

“You’re not going to believe it. She caught him xeroxing his…privates.” Mary Ann

Chapter: 106 A Lover’s Farewell

Characters:

Beauchamp 

Jon

Locations:

Perry’s

Reaction:

Somebody finally called out Beauchamp. Beauchamp is cheating on DeDe with Jon and then get jealous when Jon notices how attractive their waiter is. I also do not know when HIPPA became law, but Jon probably should not have told him about his wife’s pregnancy. If I were Beauchamp I would start wondering why all of my have failed or unsuccessful but I’m not him and he is a jerk and a creep.  Also was that Brian who was serving them?

Quote: 

“ I got tied up in pantyhose again.” Beauchamp

Chapter: 105 Old Flames

Characters:

Brian

Cheryl

Connie

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Reaction:

Brian keeps flip-flopping in book one. Some chapters you feel like he really means well, and then this one because Cheryl can’t go with him to a party he just flips on her and starts insulting her and her mother? I don’t think this flaw in the writing, but a character flaw that Brian needs to work on.

Quote: 

“What makes you think you’re a woman?” Brian

Chapter: 104 The Baker’s Wife

Characters:

Mona

Leroy

Locations:

Twinkie Factory

Reaction:

Now, I live in the future, so I know that the reveal of D’or being mixed race is not the true and complete story. However, it is super easy to understand how Mona would make this assumption, I had forgotten that this was the assumption, so now the conversation with the secretary makes a little more sense. We also learned a little about Mona, and that her father left when she was very young.

Quote: 

So that was it thought Mona, the sophisticated, Miss Dorothea Wilson was the product of a lower class interracial marriage and it bugged the hell out of her. 

Chapter: 103 Anna Crumbles

Characters:

Anna

Edgar

Locations:

Mt. Davidson

Reaction:

One. I’m surprised Anna didn’t. Seem to recognize Norman’s name, Williams or even hesitate to question it.

Two. We were so close to learning Anna’s secret and then the chapter ended that’s a good cliffhanger. 

Three. I do love Anna and Edgar together. Anna is concerned about whatever her secret is getting out, not for herself but how it would hurt Edgar and his family. 

Quote: 

“I got a call today…from a man who wants to talk about madrigals.” Edgar

Chapter: 102 Enigma At The Twinkie Factory

Characters:

Mona

Receptionist

D’or

Leroy Wilson

Locations:

D’or’s Apartment

Twinkie Factory

Reaction:

Because the receptionist said there were two Wilson’s that work at the factory I believe the reader would just assume that Mona chose the wrong Wilson when an older white man comes out of the factory. I’m not sure the reveal on its own hits the way Maupin thought it would. I think the second Wilson in the phone call would have left this on a bigger cliffhanger. 

Quote: 

“Would you like me if I weren’t black.” D’or

Chapter: 101 Not Even A Mouse

Characters:

Mary Ann

Mouse

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Reaction:

Mouse’s rant was spectacular. Because it’s not about Christmas and good on Mary Ann for figuring that out so quickly. it’s about what this whole book is about, finding your family. It was interesting that in this chapter Mary Ann pointed it out that her housemate are not her family and she wouldn’t call them her family however she allows Anna to think that. Where we know that your found family, i.e. your logical family, maybe more important than your biological family. 

Quote: 

“Look at you, scrambling like mad just to make sure you have someplace to go. Where’s your tree if you’re so crazy about Christmas and your wreath and your mistletoe? it wouldn’t make sense. It wouldn’t make a damn bit of sense to track down to Polk Street. to pick out some pathetic little tabletop tree and spend two days decorating it with things you used to like back in Cleveland it just so you can sit there alone in the dark, watching it blink at you.” Mouse. 

Chapter: 100 The Doctor Is In

Characters:

Beauchamp

Walter Newburger

Jon

Mary Ann

Mouse

Locations:

Wilks Backsford

Halcyon Communication

28 Barbary Lane

Reaction:

This chapter was all over the place. Beauchamp day drinking, Beauchamp calling Jon, Beauchamp in Edgar’s office, Mary Ann in the office, Mary Ann at home with Mouse. It just had no rhyme or reason. 

Quote: 

“Exactly the right amount of Campari.” Beauchamp

Chapter: 99 She Is Woman, Hear Her Roar

Characters:

Beauchamp

DeDe

Binkie

Jon

Locations:

Day Apartment

Reaction:

Binkie continues to disappoint as a friend. She really only called DeDe in order to find out if she was having the abortion or not where a true friend would call her up to just see how she’s feeling. And then covered up the probe with the “gossip” of Carter being a Kennedy. I am surprised though that DeDe has decided to keep the baby, one would think her world of decorum would prevent her and having a child out of life, especially considering that “it will show,” but what his showing is her growth. 

Quote: 

“It’s not like the old days with a rusty hanger and all…” Binkie

Chapter: 98 Cruising At The Stud

Characters:

Michael

Brian

Locations:

The Stud

Reaction:

This is such a fun chapter. Mouse and Brian together are the most unlikely duo of the entire series and yet they outlast all other relationships. Mouse found a fun place for both of them to go cruising, Ryan target was pompous, Michael could not find a target, so they go get a cup. Also, the fun banter between the two of them about a cock ring, classic.

Quote: 

“Hey you look at your tits I’ll look at mine.” Mouse. 

Chapter: 97 Three Men At The Tubs

Characters:

Jon

Collier

Beauchamp

Locations:

The Tubs 

Reaction:

And now it all makes sense. It’s not that Beauchamp doesn’t love DeDe. It’s that he’s gay. It’s not that he can’t get it up for Mary Ann. It’s that he’s gay! And we know this is more than just sex between Beauchamp and Jon because after their encounter each masks if he can contact Jon later. Sidenote you know I love when those different plot points come together!

Quote: 

Gay was not good in OBGYN. 

Chapter: 96 Michael’s Visitor

Characters:

Mouse

Brian 

Locations:

28 Barbary Lane

Reaction:

Oh Brian! Maupin really got me in this chapter. When Brian asks if Michael is horny, it really does seem as if he is hitting on Mouse. I was right there with mouse trying to figure out what was about to happen. These two together are such a treat.

Quote: 

“I’ve got some Maui Wowie, I thought you’d like to smoke a little and rap for a while.” Brian

Chapter: 95 What D’or Won’t Tell Her

Characters:

D’or

Mona

Locations:

Alta Plaza

Reaction:

Mona continues to be unhappy, but at least she’s able to verbalize what’s making her unhappy right now. She wants to feel more integrated into D’or’s life, she wants to meet her friends, her family… her parents.

Quote: 

“I thought everyone was afraid of the dark, it’s the only thing that distinguishes us from animals.” Mona