IndieReviewer: “beguiling…”
I so appreciate when a reviewer truly understands why I write pieces in a certain way. I didn’t want this book to simply be about the bad things that have happened to me, which is what some people encouraged that I do. I wanted to tell a more rounded and nuanced tale, and I’m glad IndieReader “gets” it!
4.5 Stars (out of 5)
Actor/activist Kergan Edwards-Stout is quite the character, and NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE TIDE (Or, How I Married a Lying, Psychopathic Wannabe-Murderer and Kinda Lived to Tell) is his charming life story.
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE TIDE (Or, How I Married a Lying, Psychopathic Wannabe-Murderer and Kinda Lived to Tell) is a fascinating hodgepodge of a memoir exploring the life of writer/actor/radical Kergan Edwards-Stout. Luckily the book delves into the author's experiences from being a child of the 1960s onward, rather than dwelling excessively on the one husband (of three) who turned out to be a psychopath...because though Eyes (the psychopath) has been given the honor of being the memoir's title character and hook, of all the colorful occurrences Edwards-Stout has had, the heartthrob who lied, cheated, manipulated, and bore deep undercurrents of violence (as psychopaths are known to do) is the least interesting element.
Much more remarkable is Edwards-Stout's observations of life as a gay man from elementary school forward...his time in Hollywood...his lifetime goal of fatherhood achieved. While there are typical bullies during the schoolyard years, they lead to Edwards-Stout becoming the kind of creative, passionate individual who champions activist causes and a fairer reality for all. And though initially embarking on the process of parenthood as a white man attempting to adopt a black son with a (psychopathic) husband, the reality of remaining a committed, functional, single father once things with the psychopath end is a truly touching look at the ins and outs of endeavoring to juggle healthy, attachment-based parenting in this day and age. "The first year of Mason's birth was magical. I loved being a full-time dad. My bonding time with him is something I will always treasure, and I have Eyes to thank for that." The message: even roads painfully traveled with psychopaths can turn out okay in the end. In sometimes hilarious Hollywood sections from Edwards-Stout's years in the movie business, a good number of names are actually named, whether the incidents being described are positive or not. Want to know what it's like to be the production assistant charged with driving Jennifer Beals and Billy Zane to set, long before they were as famous as they are now? Read this book and find out.
IR Verdict: NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE TIDE (Or, How I Married a Lying, Psychopathic Wannabe-Murderer and Kinda Lived to Tell) by Kergan Edwards-Stout is a beguiling look at the long, lively years of this thoughtful, rainbow-hued advocate for loving male/male relationships, fatherhood, an inclusive society, and pursuing one's creative dreams.