John of John

by Douglas Stuart

John of John, Douglas Stuart’s latest novel, follows 22‑year‑old gay Harris islander John‑Calum “Cal” Macleod as he returns from Edinburgh to his remote Hebridean home at his father John’s urging. Set against a tight‑knit Free Presbyterian community in the 1990s, the story weaves a modern parable of the prodigal son with a stark portrait of queer repression, intergenerational conflict, and the yearning for love in a landscape of silence. As Cal navigates his father’s domineering expectations, a hidden same‑sex relationship between John and the neighbour Innes, and his own struggle to be seen beyond his “flame‑coloured” hair, the novel explores themes of coming‑of‑age, identity, family fracture, loneliness, and the quiet resilience of rural life.