This book is both engrossing and poignant, as it tells the story of a Medicine Woman and her tribe of outcasts and misfits, and their struggles to live a simple, but spiritual, life in the "Old West". It's been a long time since I've read a book that connected me so strongly with its characters; who became life-like as the story unfolded. In addition, my eyes were opened to the possibility of what life in the "Old West" might have been like for anyone other than a white man. Its message of courage, strength, hope and endurance is a timeless one that serves as a reminder of the enduring quality of the human spirit.

I read this book years ago, and am glad to see it is being reissued. I loaned my copy out to one too many friends, and am pleased to know I can order a new copy . A MUST read for anyone interested in the history of what (may have) really happened in the West.

This book is an amazing and powerful story about women and the Native American Culture. Anyone wanting to read a positive up-lifting story about women should read this incredible book! I have shared this book with many of my friends who have in turn shared it with their friends. A definite must read!

Patricia Nell Warren wrote the definitive gay novel obver 20 years ago with her landmark novel THE FRONT RUNNER. With The Wild Man, Warren again gets into the heads of gay men ever with a tale of love, desire, and the longing we all share to find the love of our life and make it work.

The title stems from the love interest, the story is told form the point of view of the central character, a bull fighter in Spain in the 1960s.

What makes this story so special is that Warren started it in the 1960s when she lived in Spain. It is only now that she felt she was ready to fully tell the story.

It reads like a piece of finely researched biography, travelling through almost four decades of growth, pain, love and harmony!

This is a must read for any one who loves gay fiction!

Patricia Nell Warren is a legendary icon in gay literature. Her landmark novel "The Front Runner" has captivated over 10 million readers in two generation since its publication in 1974. It has been published in ten languages.

Warren's newest novel, "The Wild Man" is argueably her greatest novel. The saga is set in fascist Spain in the late 1960s during the reign of Franco. The book is captivating. Once your read the first twelve pages you are hooked. The story revolves around a gay bullfighter, Antonio Escuedero, poised on the verge of retirement. A chance encounter with a peasant, Juan Diano Rodriguez, who has a unique ability to raise animals, leads to an unthinkable love story in an oppressive environment. The story is deepend through the relationship of Antonio and his twin sister, Jose, who is a lesbian with a hidden love life of her own.

Warren has often come under for writing about men. "The Wild Man" is proof that she writes drmaticly about women as she does about men. Once again, however, she is able to get into the emotions and psyche of gay men in a way that is unique in glbt literature.

Though set in Fascist Spain, Warren points out in the Notes and Acknowledgement section that follows the novel, that the increasing power of the religious right spells needed concern. Liberties fought for valiently can be easily lost if not carefully guarded.

"The Wild Man" is an excellent book. It is a quick read, a glimpse into a distant time and culture and a great deal of fun....

amazon.com's editorial reviewer complains that The Wild Man too often reads like a romance novel. DUH! It IS a romance novel, among other things . . . the best romance novel I've ever read.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm about halfway through, and I love it, love it, LOVE IT . . . the mix of romance, religion, history, environmentalism, feminism, the bullfighting metaphors, and especially the underlying message that lesbians and gay men need one another to survive in a hostile world. The difficult love scenes between Juan and Don Antonio ring so true! I never dreamed women understood about gay men who refuse to kiss and who won't accept the sexually passive role because it isn't "manly," but Ms. Warren understands, and she dares to write about it here. And she is courageous in addressing physical abuse in gay relationships (i. e. the characters of Josefina and Sera). I picked up this book after reading James M. Cain's extremely homophobic novel "Serendade," which is set in Mexico. This book is the anecdote to that one . . . it's like a breath of fresh air.

I'm reading it now as a library lend, but I plan to buy The Wild Man as soon as I can afford to do it. It fairly cries out to be made into a movie! I can practically hear the flamenco guitars on the soundtrack.

How is it that a female story teller so adeptly delved into the emotions and mind of gay men? I was 27 when I first read The Front Runner, it was published when I was only 5 years old. Even though it is a story about life set in the 70s, it is a truly remarkable tale about love, destiny, passion and the search for that special love we all seek. Harlan, the track coach at the center of the book, has paid some tough prices for coming out as a gay man. He lost a wife, a family, and yes it would be easy to say he should never have gotten married and cheating on his wife...through Ms. Warren's words, we see the pain and confusion that his sexual identity has caused him. It is not until he is into his 40s that he finds he can be out and lead a life deserving in respect & love. The tragic ending will move any heart I'm sure, gay or staright or questioning. Along with its sequels, each just as brilliant, TFR is a landmark book that is a celebration of the gay & lesbian community.

The Front Runner is a novel that I will continue to recommend and read several times. The heartfelt agony of the characters, especially Billy and Harlan, is offset by the triumphs they achieve together and seperately. Set in the homophobic world of sports in the 70's, this novel has captured the essence of the inner turmoil and external conflict that any openly or closeted gay felt in the sports arena during this period. Patricia Warren did an outstanding job of giving us the opportunity to delve into the glory of the human spirit and to witness a victory over the persecution of bigots. A love story between two men is not often written that contains feelings of more than lust and quick backroom lays. However, The Front Runner is a rare story of love between two men that touches something in each of us. It is a story of longing and desire, but also one of triumph and agony. The Front Runner set new standards for gay novels and has continued to be a favorite for millions all across the world

This is considered by many (myself included) to be the classic gay love story. This book is an exquisitely written piece of literature, tracing track coach Harlan Brown's life, and his love for a young athlete, Billy, all the way the Olympics.
First published in 1973, The Front Runner has been translated into a number of languages, and has sold over ten million copies worldwide. In 1974, TFR was the first gay themed book to hit #1 on the New York Times best seller list. Read it, and you will know why this book has enjoyed such huge popularity over the years. Be warned though, I haven't met a single person who has been able to put this book down once started. It pulls you into the lives of Billy and Harlan, you feel their love, their joy and their pain. And, if you get to the end of the book, and you haven't shed tears, I would be tempted to say that you need to be checked for emotions!

A lot of genre fiction is usually trite or predictable, but I really enjoyed the story of a closeted gay father and her conservative daughter who runs for office. The stories of the father's gay lover, the young lesbian couple, and the closeted gay cop are also equally intriguing. And sadly, it shows that even though a lot has changed for the LGBT community, a person like Jeanne Colter (an obvious riff on Anita Bryant) could still cause havoc for the gay community even if they reside in a large city like NY.

I have not read any of Warren's other books, but now I will.

Take a closeted gay man, his republican beauty queen daughter, and have him finance her bid for state office in New York, and you have a brilliant novel! Patricia Nell Warren hooked me with The Front Runner series of books. And when I read this book, there were many times I found myself smiling and laughing. Set in the 70s, the book does read like a comical version of Anita Bryant's (I hope I have that name right) campaign to extinguish gay rights bills. But this book, takes that true life event, and plugs the readers in deeper to the state of minds of its principal characters. It is touching, humorous, and passionate. It delves into the life of a gay man, his deep love for his daughter, and how two lives that should be so close are often so distant.

I found this book to be very true of the political and social pressures that all gays face. The father in this book must make the choice to come out as gay or support his daughter's quest to erase the infedels(homosexuals) from the world. Her fanatical obsession cleary reflects the fervor from which many politicians of today react. This book could hold true to any person's heart about misuderstanding a group of people. A real eye opening book, though it is a work of fiction.

Nothing glaringly bad, but absolutely no appeal for me, personally. Although I would love to just find a well-written, current, romantic gay novel, I haven't found it yet. This book was written in the 70's so I suppose I should give it some slack. Also, it felt too religious for my taste.

I think that this book could easily been seen as mediocre except for a couple of simple facts. First, the author is female, which means nothing to my New Critical friends, but I found it interesting how much insight and liberty this author felt she could take in portraying the life of a closeted gay male and his lover. Also, the times in which the book was written made it controversial. I felt some obligation to make my way through the movie just to see how good a job she did. She did better than I think most people did at her time, but I felt books like "Another Country," by James Baldwin, among others captured the energy and fear of gay male before the gay liberation movement. I don't know, I wasn't there. I found the book an important peek into a world I knew very little about, but it is not the best book I have read. I recommend it to those who liked the slower paced novel with the twist of something new. I don't recommend it to those who are expecting a salacious quick novel. A gay classic maybe, but definitely not one of the capstone's of twentieth century literature.

The first time I read this book, I was a confused struggling young man trying to make sense of his sexuality...much like Tom Meeker only without the collar. Now, 24 years later...I'm the priest still struggling to make sense of his sexuality and of love. This book, so poingantly describes the struggle that many of us in the priesthood must contend with as we live closeted lives. Unlike Tom Meeker, I chose to leave rather than stay...but there are many more who have been able to endure issues that Patrician Nell Warren so very accurately and sensitively wrote about in the book. While it is listed as "fiction", there is more truth in these pages than meet the eye. It touched me as well being a native american as I could grasp the world of Fr. Tom AND his lover, Vidal. TEN stars...not just FIVE.

THE FRONT RUNNER was perhaps the best gay oriented novel I have ever read. Who didn't come to love, admire, respect and mourn Billy Sive? By the time we turned the last page, we had found and lost our best friend. In HARLAN'S RACE we looked for closure to that first story and slowly healed as the characters themselves did. Now with BILLY'S BOY, I find myself dipping my mind into a haunting memory pool hoping to rediscover Billy Sive all over again and coming up very disappointed. The author writes as well as ever, the characters are as interesting and touching as ever, it's just that the story doesn't fill the void that was left us in THE FRONT RUNNER. Like the ghostly character that haunts these three books, the race is an unfinished one.

It was wonderful to read the continuation of the story which was as challenging as the two appendant books "The Front Runner" and "Harlans Race" of which the first one even leads the reader (nowadays) back into the 70's. Many things for most of the characters have changed positively since then.
I must not forget to mention the first class style of telling the story by Patrica Nell Warren!

Too many have pegged Patricia Nell Warren's third segment in The Front Runner series as a young adult novel. It is that; yet, it is very much an adult novel -- both for gay and straight adults -- particularly parents.For those of who have followed Warren's development of this series over more than two decades, this is a natural third phase in the story.William is the son of Betsy Heden, a lesbian track coach, who had him because he was Billy's child. After Billy's death in The Front Runner, we learn in Harlan's Race that Betsy volunteered to have Billy's child through artificial insemination with the sperm that both Billy and Harlan has cryogenically stored before Billy's death. They had wanted children together, but were fearful that something might happen to one of them, which in fact did with Billy's being gunned down in the Olympics in Montreal in 1976. Since Harlan continued to receive death threats on his life because he is gay and an athletic coach, Betsy grows increasingly uncomfortable being near Harlan. She fears for William's life and basically takes him away completely.Billy's Boy opens with William having a Sci-Fi type of dream of being captain of a galactic space ship which will rejoin him with his father who calls to him in his dreams. William knows nothing of his father. Betsy has gone to overwhelming efforts to conceal any trace of her past life and of William's existence, particularly the knowledge that Billy Sive, gay runner, is the child's father. Much of the story is William's exploration of finding his father -- or at least attempting to find out about his father.As William begins adolescence, he is troubled. Most of it centers around Betsy's unflinching unwillingness to speak to him about his father. Like the typical adolescent, this makes William all the more determined to find out more.The story is well written, it bears witness to the many excellent support systems that are available for runaway children today -- especially kids who find themselves dealing with sexual identity issues. These were completely unavailable before the 1990's. Sexual orientation confusion and the realization by kids that they are gay or lesbian is one of the highest causes of suicide -- third leading cause of death in adolescence. William struggles with his own sexuality and gets into trouble with his next door neighbor's father. The story gets quite complex from here on in and I can't say I like all of the levels of complexity introduced. Yet, life is unpredictably complex and this is the manner in which Warren has shown it. Billy's Boy does have a promising ending.It is a book that while kids can appreciate it, I would hope that teachers and clinicians familiarize themselves with this book and others like it, in order to help that kid who might choose you to confide their sexual doubts to. This book and many others like it can be tremendous first directions for these kids.Parents would be the best target audience for this book, after the gay followers of Warren. Sexuality is not something forced, fixable, or caused by upbringing. No one knows if they will have a gay child. It would be wise to be prepared in the event that he or she is. Are you knowledgeable enough about the subject to be able to affirmatively deal with your's son or daughter's difference in sexuality? You need to be!Another audience prime for this book are the gay men and women who are still bitter that they had no one available to them when they were growing up with the angst of their own homosexuality. There seems to be some resentment within many people in the gay community that kids are getting "what we didn't get." I have to say this is tremendous. So many lives taken by kids who suicided could have been salvaged if they had some place to turn. The recent centers, schools and books for kids is a wonderful turn of events and we should be proud of this development in GLBT culture. It is productive and yes, hopefully, it will make these kids' lives a bit easier. My adolescence wasn't much fun being so lonely. Just because somehow I survived doesn't mean that this is the only way to grow up. Adolescence for gay kids isn't "boot camp" or a "fraternity initiation" process. At our deepest core would we want other kids to suffer the torments we did? I think we can take some tremendous pride in having a hand in the realization and support of the need for programs like these. These kids still don't "roller coaster" into happy gay lives!A good read, well written, a few things I would have changed, but it's a good novel and some contains some excellent situations for teachers, counselors and school administrators and for members of the GLBT community who don't understand the importance of support for kids growing up today in a climate that is dare I say, is even more oppressively homophobic than the experience of those of us who grew up in the late 1960's and 1970's.I hope Book Number Four does come to daylight as Warren implies in her commentary on this edition!

No, this isn't the Front Runner. But then no book could be. The 70's offered the gay male a new sensibility about his sexuality. It allowed him to realize that he was not some horrible outcast in modern society. The Front Runner was a romance that gay men had been waiting for since the beginning of time. Where E. M. Forster's Maurice was a romance, it unrealistically allowed the characters to have an unqualified happy ending. Warren did not. Warren gave her characters flesh, blood, and oxygen that had been so lacking in so many previous gay themed novels. I cried my eyes out when I first read The Front Runner. Because I had waited almost twenty years for the sequel, I tore through it with a vengeance. We can't hope for the love and joy that we experienced reading The Front Runner. That wonderful book's ending couldn't allow Harlan's Race to be nearly as idealistic or uplifting. However, it does provide us with a carefully crafted, believable memorial to gay fiction's (possibly most loved) character: Billy Sive. In twenty years I've moved from Billy's age to Harlan's and I found that his skin fit me well. Read this book, if you've read the first one. If not, start there and work your way forward. This is great storytelling. Warren's books should be required reading for Pat Robertson and his contemporaries. Maybe then, they would understand "forbidden love".

"Harlan's Race" doesn't feel as much a sequel, as a continuation. The book picks up right where the "Front Runner" left off, with Billy Sive being murdered at the Olympic Games, and it's aftermath.I was glad I had re-read "...Runner" before I started this because it helped keep the characters fresh in my mind. Nell Warren succeeds in keeping Harlan's voice a barometer of the changing times as the seventies gives way to the somewhat more tolerant 80s.The backbone of the book is really a mystery novel with an apparent accomplice in Billy's murder still loose and aiming at Harlan. I thought for the most part this was successful although the identity of the mystery person began to be telegraphed towards the end which took some suspense out of it.My only other slight disappointment with the book was the leaping of years towards the end to bring the story closer to the present. Knowing this book may be part of a total of four books, I almost wish she'd taken more time and detailed the years that are lost by being summarized on a few pages. Still I was glad to be back in Harlan's head for a while. It felt like talking with an old friend.

Although Harlan's race was written 20 years after its landmark predicessor 'The Front Runner'(TFR). This book covers the period of time from Billy's death at the end of TFR, which occurs in 1976 and takes us through Harlan Brown's trials and tribulations up to the early 1990's.

This book picked up the story EXACTLY where I thought it should have.. which was where the previous book left off. Harlan is still dealing with the sudden death of Billy Sive, and the changes that death causes in everyone around him.

Harlan has to deal with 'LEV.', a unseen stalker/harrasser that keeps threatening Harlan and his friends via weird messages. Harlan becomes afraid to do nearly anything that might cause LEV. to do more damage or death around him. We see Harlan drop and come back during this book several times.

This book also deals with the murder of Harvey Milk in San Francisco, as well as the introduction to the AIDS era, before it was known what it was all the way into the early 1990's when the government barely recognized it existed.

The Author, Patricia Nell Warren continued her brilliance into the Gay Man's mind by creating a wonderful sequel to TFR. I highly recommend reading this book, but would recommend that you read TFR first.. it gives great background on the story and chararacters. I am starting sequel #3 'Billy's Boy'. I expect it will be just as good as the others... I will let you know shortly!

Happy READING!!!