Fate's Instruments

Paul, an aspiring writer in his mid-twenties, marries Carlos, a boyfriend he lived with in Guatemala; brings him Montreal, and looks forward to a life of bliss. Things go wrong from the beginning, and the trouble Carlos causes leaves Paul little time for much else—and they break up. Bill, whom Paul sees as the father he always wanted, helps him overcome his guilt about his sexuality. At the peak of Paul's troubles Bill dies. Then fate, in the form of a brain tumour, strikes Paul. He receives support from his brother Jay, Lionel (himself a brain tumor survivor), friends, and enigmatic Professor Bram. But it is Paul's exploration of his Vincentian childhood and new-found love that restores his equilibrium.