Jack Parlett...who has mixed feelings, too, about paradise, hugs his ambivalence and makes good literature out of it. His concise, meticulously researched, century-spanning chronicle of queer life on Fire Island captures, with a plain-spoken yet lyric touch, the locale’s power to stun and shame, to give pleasure and symbolize evanescence.

An island history that’s deeply felt and keenly judged.

A fine account of an important place in gay cultural history..

Among the most poetic and moving parts of this beautifully written book are Parlett’s own memories of New York City, Fire Island, and his growth as a gay man.

An immersive history of Fire Island and the evolution of LGBTQ culture in 20th-century America.

A vibrant social history.