A Small Gathering of Bones is a heart-wrenching and tender portrayal of a group of gay men living in 1970s Jamaica before the threat of HIV was known. The story is told through the perspective of Dale, a leader in his church and gay man whose long-term relationship is floundering after a regrettable act of infidelity. Dale is a deeply flawed but wise protagonist who I enjoyed listening to. His inner monologues note his frustrations alongside the hypocrisy and ruthlessness of the church women who reject and terrorize their own children, and the men who set up families through heterosexual marriages to shield themselves from being outed. Throughout the novel, Dale becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his life due to the end of his relationship and the grief from watching his friend die while his mother refuses to even visit him, resulting in a horrific conclusion. Decades after its publication, this book remains a relevant and scathing criticism of homophobic neglect and a tender portrait of those who are made to suffer from it.