Bacon Grief by Joel Shoemaker

“Readers will root for Charlie and Tim to find their way through the thicket of anxieties and droll snark to happiness.”

— Kirkus Reviews

Charlie, a musical-theatre nerd with deep appreciation for sprinkle-topped ice creams and other snack foods, is active in his church and comes from a family who loves and appreciates him for exactly who he is, purple pants and all.

Tim, a lover of crinkle-cut pickles, black olives and other forgivably-disgusting crudités, belongs to a conservative Christian pastor and devout mother who move to the rural town to staff a small church that, predictably, holds little place for Tim.

After meeting online and given the green light to attend a youth group at another church, Tim and Charlie become fast friends with more and more in common. When they consider more than friendship, Tim is faced with his reality and the choice to reconcile faith and sexuality or walk away from it all.