From the foreword by T. Cole Rachel: "Nighttime Kingdom is many things - a coming-of-age tale, a document of loss, a treatise on the lifelong imprints of trauma, a love story - but in the end, it's much more than that. 'There are minor losses. And losses that are life-changing, ' O'Brien writes. 'Both are similar in the reactions they trigger in the spirit, heart, and soul. Then there are those losses which reverberate so deeply that they forever reshape the fundamental structure of who we are.' The characters in Nighttime Kingdom remind us that even though tragedy can break us, it can also be transformative in ways we don't expect - it can be the jet fuel that propels us into a different (hopefully better) kind of life, it can be the catalyst for making us stronger and (again, hopefully) more empathetic, more fully realized, and truly loving creatures."
In Nighttime Kingdom, intuitive folk storytelling intertwines with themes of resilience, love, and the enduring power of the human spirit. Through Ted's poignant odyssey, readers are invited to explore the transformative journey of healing, the complexities of male intimacy, and the timeless allure of small-town America. It is a luminous tale that celebrates the resilience of queer individuals and challenges conventional notions of identity, leaving readers profoundly moved and inspired by Ted's unwavering courage and determination to find healing and acceptance in a world that once rejected him.