Offspring - Softcover

""Offspring", Michael Quadland's second luminous novel, raises thorny questions about the true meaning of love. What could be comic--and, in fact, the novel produces many satisfying chortles--is full of complex pathos and frank humanity. An entertaining and enthralling jaunt."--Cris Mazza, author of "Trickle-Down Timeline" and "Homeland"

"Michael Quadland's terrific new novel, "Offspring", tells the fascinating and emotionally riveting story of a sperm donor--a Vietnam vet tortured with unresolved feelings about his dead comrade--who accidentally meets the recipient of his semen, a Broadway actress with a loose hold on reality. Add a transgendered person seeking acceptance and romance to the mix, and you have an edgy, funny, yet poignant saga perfect for our times. Like Quadland's Lambda-finalist first novel, "That Was Then", this is at heart a story of people's search for truth, love, and a sense of belonging. The dialogue sparkles with wit and charm, as if Noel Coward and Christopher Isherwood collaborated to create quintessential, quirky Quadland prose--and the author's empathy for his characters makes for a book that will touch your heart deeply, and stay in your mind for a long, long time."--Lynette Brasfield, author of "Nature Lessons: A Novel"

""Offspring", Michael Quadland's second luminous novel, raises thorny questions about the true meaning of love. What could be comic--and, in fact, the novel produces many satisfying chortles--is full of complex pathos and frank humanity. An entertaining and enthralling jaunt."--Cris Mazza, author of "Trickle-Down Timeline" and "Homeland"

Michael Quadland s terrific new novel, "Offspring," tells the fascinating and emotionally riveting story of a sperm donor a Vietnam vet torturedwith unresolved feelings about his dead comrade who accidentally meets the recipient of his semen, aBroadway actress with a loose hold on reality. Add atransgenderedperson seeking acceptance and romance to the mix, and you have an edgy, funny, yet poignant saga perfect for our times. Like Quadland s Lambda-finalistfirst novel, "That Was Then," this is at heart a story of people s search for truth, love, and a sense of belonging. The dialogue sparkles with wit and charm, as if Noel Coward and Christopher Isherwood collaborated to create quintessential, quirkyQuadland prose and the author s empathy for his characters makes for a book that will touch your heart deeply, and stay in your mind for a long, long time. Lynette Brasfield, author of "Nature Lessons: A Novel""

"Offspring," Michael Quadland s second luminous novel, raises thorny questions about the true meaning of love. What could be comic and, in fact, the novel produces many satisfying chortles is full of complex pathos and frank humanity. An entertaining and enthralling jaunt. Cris Mazza, author of "Trickle-Down Timeline" and "Homeland"

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"Offspring," Michael Quadland s second luminous novel, raises thorny questions about the true meaning of love. What could be comic and, in fact, the novel produces many satisfying chortles is full of complex pathos and frank humanity. An entertaining and enthralling jaunt. Cris Mazza, author of "Trickle-Down Timeline" and "Homeland""

A story of coincidences and the connections that emerge from desire and biology, the novel indelibly marks the passions and failings of its characters.
Publishers Weekly"

Michael Quadland s terrific new novel, Offspring, tells the fascinating and emotionally riveting story of a sperm donor a Vietnam vet torturedwith unresolved feelings about his dead comrade who accidentally meets the recipient of his semen, aBroadway actress with a loose hold on reality. Add atransgenderedperson seeking acceptance and romance to the mix, and you have an edgy, funny, yet poignant saga perfect for our times. Like Quadland s Lambda-finalistfirst novel, That Was Then, this is at heart a story of people s search for truth, love, and a sense of belonging. The dialogue sparkles with wit and charm, as if Noel Coward and Christopher Isherwood collaborated to create quintessential, quirkyQuadland prose and the author s empathy for his characters makes for a book that will touch your heart deeply, and stay in your mind for a long, long time. Lynette Brasfield, author of Nature Lessons: A Novel

On a wintry morning in 1974, Hank Preston makes a semen delivery to the New York Hospital Fertility Clinic. Running late, he takes the elevator rather than the stairway earmarked for such deliveries. A woman enters, the recipient of his semen, and a relationship develops that threatens to blow their already rocky lives to smithereens. To add to Hank’s problems, his transgendered boss at the Strand Bookstore is in love with him. “But I’m straight,” Hank protests. “And I’m a woman,” Joey insists.

The odd yet compelling interactions of these three vibrant characters makes for a gripping story. Hank needs to come to terms with what happened to him in Vietnam. Karen, the would-be mother, needs to clarify the difference between fantasy and reality. Joey, the sanest of the three, despite—or maybe because of—her gender mix-up, shares her wisdom and tries, somewhat unsuccessfully, to hold them all on course. Secrets are revealed as the twisting plot erupts into a fiery conclusion.

Offspring is a story of longings, thwarted dreams and the search for truth. Ultimately, it is a tale of family, and our fervent need to belong.