Review of Painted Faces by L. H. Cosway
5 stars
“Painted Faces” is a subtly special book: subtly because the depths of character and life revelations kind of sneak up on the reader, rather than announcing themselves and then knocking the reader upside the head, as some stories do. They’re not blatant, but they are wonderful. I truly enjoyed reading it.
Nicholas is a New Zealand native who even as a child memorialized his late mother by dressing as her; now he performs cabaret, an outstanding singer who knows all the cultural icons and recreates them-and by the way, is a transvestite. Dubliner Freda (who prefers “Fred”) is a slightly buxom and plumpish girl who conceals her prudishness and inferiority complexes behind a façade of brashness and foul-mouthed sarcasm and humour. Amazingly, the two are “right for each other” (no matter how much one denies it), and what makes their story so special is the kind of honest people they are: realistic, empathetic, with unexpected depths, highs and lows, tensions, and the gamut of emotions humans can fall prey to. They’re four-dimensional, really, not just the usual three-dimensional; and certainly not the routine two-dimensional fiction (and life) sometimes prefers. I highly recommend this novel. (18+, of course)
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