"The Plaster Fabric" 1957 GOFF, Martyn
$350
GOFF, Martyn
[255] pp.
Putnam
1957
Jacket design by John Minton
8" x 5 1/2"
VG/ VG
When Martyn Goff’s daring first novel, The Plaster Fabric, appeared in 1957, homosexuality was illegal in Great Britain and both Goff and his publisher risked prosecution for the book’s frank treatment of gay themes. Laurence “Laurie” Kingston, a former Royal Air Force pilot now working as a bookseller and artist, is a man with a secret. Born gay, Laurie has spun a web of lies to conceal his homosexuality, which, if discovered, could cost him his job, his friends, and even his freedom. After a chance encounter one foggy night with Tom Beeson, a rugged soldier, Laurie finds himself falling in love. But Laurie’s already dangerous situation faces another difficulty when his best friend, Susan, also falls for Tom. When Laurie gets caught up in this complicated triangle, he runs the risk of losing everything as the fabric of his carefully constructed life begins to chip away like flakes of plaster . . .