A Friend of Dorothy's by Richard Willett

For those of us in our 60s, we remember living through another global pandemic that came before Covid. Since the early 1980s, AIDS has taken the lives of more than 40 million people worldwide. During the early days of AIDs, I too remember so much confusion about the disease, about how you could get it, and how you couldn't get it. But I remember too, the stories of the caregivers, and the people who took care of their dying friends. "A Friend of Dorothy," by Richard Willett, is a novel, and coming of age story that takes place during 1986 in New York City. Eric, a 27-year-old Canadian transplant, works in a book store in Midtown Manhattan. When his coworker Dale contracts AIDS, he needs a caregiver. Dale asks Eric to help him, and Eric agrees. The experience will change both of the men's lives. With grace and humor, Eric helps his friend die, while Dale inspires Eric to continue to live. The novel so accurately depicts New York in the middle of the AIDS crisis, when there was so much fear and stigma, but also so much love going around, too. To buy this book on Amazon click here.