After the Parade

By Lori Ostlund,

Book cover of After the Parade

Book description

The debut novel from award-winning author Lori Ostlund—“smart, resonant, and imbued with beauty” (Publishers Weekly) that “provides considerable pleasure and emotional power” (The New York Times Book Review)—about a man who leaves his longtime partner in New Mexico for a tragicomic road trip deep into the mysteries of his own…


Shepherd is reader supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. (learn more)

Why read it?

1 author picked After the Parade as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book is for all of us who escaped the small-mindedness of the world in which we were raised and about the places that took us in. The book’s hero is Aaron Englund, a gay, bookish, and much-misunderstood boy who grows up in a small town in rural Minnesota. It is about his struggles in that hostile world and the other outsiders he encounters as he tries to figure out who he is. It is about saving oneself and finding one’s place, and it is in some ways a homage to my adopted home, San Francisco. It is also a…

From Anne's list on looking for and finding refuge.

Want books like After the Parade?

Our community of 7,000+ authors has personally recommended 10 books like After the Parade.

Browse books like After the Parade

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in gay men, San Francisco, and California?

7,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about gay men, San Francisco, and California.

Gay Men Explore 59 books about gay men
San Francisco Explore 151 books about San Francisco
California Explore 260 books about California