Hodgman\\\'s description of his life growing up in Paris, MO, as an only child who knows he is different and finally realizes he is homosexual is touching, hilarious and a new topic to me. His description of living as a young gay writer in NYC, at the dawn of the AIDS outbreak, is heartbreaking. Most of the book, however, is about his time living with his beloved mother, Betty, as she sinks into dementia. This is also hilarious and touching, and unique. Wonderful writing and storytelling.

I started to skim this book; then found that skimming still didn't elicit new information so I skipped to the end and still nothing really changed. I do not recommend this book.

Author explores life with his aging mother when he returns to small town America from NY city and reflects on his relationship with his father as well as a gay man. An emotionally moving story the chapter on his sexual exploration after college was unneccessary to the overall telling of his mother's final days and his acceptance with living a slower paced life in Missouri.

The book is as much about the son's life as it is about his mother's life and their relationship with each other. It was a nice surprise and insightful to learn about the challenges of a gay person.