The Betrayal of Thomas True

A.J. West is a genius. He has created a gem of a book.

The Betrayal of Thomas True is a tale that peels back working-class realities of Georgian London, a complex tapestry of poor housing, hard labour, poverty, and a world hidden from view the Molly Houses and the society created for gay men. The presence of this world would have remained hidden without the transcripts of the Old Bailey trials. The transcripts shine a light into a world of fear of discovery, the torment of being pilloried and even hung for love.

AJ West immerses the reader in the world Thomas True and his friends inhabited. The grinding poverty, the dirt and danger and the joy, friendship and love they find in the molly houses. The unwritten stories of Georgian working-class men have been woven with dexterity. The nutty kernel of the story is love and Betrayal. The reader is taken down blind alleyways, as they believe they have solved the mystery of who the rat is, putting the flamboyant and joyous molly house and the men who enjoy their moments of personal truth mixed with ever-present danger. Then the reader realises wrong again! It must be...

The twist at the end surprises, like any good mystery.

But that is not the heart-rendering, finale of the book, as we travel the final journey of Thomas True.

I defy anyone not to be moved to tears by this book, and the lives of Thomas and his friends will continue to walk beside you long after you close the book’s beautiful cover and find a space in your bookcases. I know this will be a book I return to.

A huge thank you to Bookish at Crickhowell for organising an evening with AJ West. The premise of The Betrayal of Thomas True intrigued me and without this event would I have purchased the book? Maybe, but the event ensured I could not resist buying. Thanks to AJ West for the personalised signing of his sumptuous book.