Published: May 30, 2008
Words: 34,096 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452300924

Short description

Kevin Borden has a secret, and that secret is about to shake the world around him - a tame and suburban world ruled by his widow mother, Sarah and peppered by his study-mate, Louis. Teenagers sometimes do the darndest things, but in Kevin and Louis' case, it's a stroke of wisdom wrapped in fool's gold.

Extended description

Kevin Borden has a secret, and that secret is about to shake the world around him - a tame and suburban world ruled by his widowed mother, Sarah and peppered by his study-mate, Louis. Teenagers sometimes do the darndest things, but in Kevin and Louis' case, it's a stroke of wisdom wrapped in fool's gold. In a time not so long ago, in the days of JIM CROW and NO IRISH NEED APPLY signage, the world made hate clear to those regarded as the fringe. "Stay away." To those who know no better - or perhaps know best, such lines are only meant to be crossed, or why else would they be drawn.

No Irish Need Apply is dedicated to PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), an organization that has guided many youth across that line into the loving arms of those listening to their hearts; those shattering those hateful Jim Crow signs. Come visit with the Bordens and the Lonnegans as they take that journey across the line.

Revised for 2010. (Read more) Kevin Borden has a secret, and that secret is about to shake the world around him - a tame and suburban world ruled by his widowed mother, Sarah and peppered by his study-mate, Louis. Teenagers sometimes do the darndest things, but in Kevin and Louis' case, it's a stroke of wisdom wrapped in fool's gold. In a time not so long ago, in the days of JIM CROW and NO IRISH NEED APPLY signage, the world made hate clear to those regarded as the fringe. "Stay away." To those who know no better - or perhaps know best, such lines are only meant to be crossed, or why else would they be drawn.

No Irish Need Apply is dedicated to PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), an organization that has guided many youth across that line into the loving arms of those listening to their hearts; those shattering those hateful Jim Crow signs. Come visit with the Bordens and the Lonnegans as they take that journey across the line.

Revised for 2010.

Winner of the Red Adept Annual Indie Award (2010)
Selected as 2009 June Book of the Month by Booz Allen Hamilton's Diversity Reading Group.

Review from Rainbow Reviews:

"No Irish Need Apply by Edward C. Patterson is light homoerotic contemporary romance.

Kevin and Louis may know what prejudice feels like, but otherwise their childhoods are vastly different. Kevin has always gotten along fine at school where as Louis has always been treated with disdain and thought of as gay. They saw each other at school, but never really met until Louis is assigned as Kevin’s study partner. Louis has always known that he is different and he hopes that Kevin is that way too. Kevin has always done what is expected until he meets Louis and begins to have strange feelings for Louis.

As Kevin begins to explore these feelings, they both realize that slogan No Irish Need Apply relates to their situation more than they care for. Neither Louis or Kevin are truly out of the closet about how they feel for one another or their sexuality. Will they find the strength of will to acknowledge their feelings out in the open or will they like many people be doomed to deny their true selves?

Mr. Patterson has created an incredible story by linking it with prejudices that happened earlier in the century. By using this analogy that many understand from their study of history, it allows the reader to see how modern day prejudice effects people in the same manner it did years ago. I think that Kevin and Louis were very brave to stand up for themselves and in doing so they may have helped other young people in their same situation. I find this story very compelling and a must read for anyone who doesn’t understand how bigotry can effect people. I will be looking for other stories by Mr. Patterson."
(Less)

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

romance, coming of age, gay, contemporary

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 10%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Rigby Taylor on Feb. 08, 2013 :
A pleasant little tale about the problems teenage boys have in admitting their sexual orientation and coming out to their parents. There is little tension but several coincidences; the simple plot moves along nicely, the emotions and characters are realistic, and a tale of requited love is always heart-warming. Like all feel-good tales it will please many while not shaking the foundations of society.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Arthur Levine on Dec. 16, 2010 :
Review – No Irish Need Apply by Arthur Levine

This is a wonderful compassionate tale of two young men coming of age together and the novel way they have of coming out. Well told with enlightened warmth and sensitivity, No Irish Need Apply, should awaken an understanding of an alternate path well taken, of a mothers love, and of the vagaries of societal norms that make it so easy to condemn instead of accepting. The writing is exceptional with an attention to detail and a prose that cocoons the story in a subtle air of excellence. This is my first read of one of Mr. Edward C. Paterson’s works and it won’t be the last. This one deserves five stars.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: A. J. Braithwaite on Aug. 01, 2010 :
Sensitive and tender. Loved it.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Sharon E. Cathcart on July 08, 2010 :
Well-written and moving, "No Irish Need Apply" is a coming of age story about two gay youths, Kevin and Louis. They meet in school as assigned study partners and eventually discover that they feel more for one another than friendship.

Patterson treats the challenges of gay youth (dealing with homophobic students, coming out to family, etc.) with a gentle and honest hand.

Highly recommended for GLBT people, their families and allies, and members of PFLAG/GLSEN and similar organizations.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: