Raise It Up

Telling the truth might set you free, but only if you’re willing to pay the price.

Growing up gay in rural Michigan at the height of the Cold War has taught Cyrus Hood how to keep quiet—about a lot of things. With his mother gone, he fights to keep his family together and care for his little brother, Charlie, whose developmental problems are another secret Cyrus cannot risk revealing. Add to that an alcoholic and paranoid father, and Cyrus’s life is rapidly falling to pieces even as he’s realizing his feelings for his best friend, Oliver. When things reach their lowest point, it might be Oliver who helps Cyrus find not only his voice but his place in the world and shows him that, when all else fails, love will raise you up.