Baldwin’s final complete work, Just Above My Head follows brothers Haul and Arthur Montana and their related friends from childhood to adulthood. Arthur’s death prompts Haul to recollect how Arthur became a famous Black gay gospel singer, who had to remain closeted for the sake of his career. Much of the novel is set during the ‘60s in the deep south, and tackles topics like the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, masculinity, and the intersection of Blackness and queerness.
Haul is the elder brother and narrates the events. I wasn’t a fan at first of how the story jumped from characters to characters and between the past and present. However, toward the middle the plot settled down, focusing mainly on Arthur. Haul, and their friend Julia and her brother James.
I was struck by how insightful Baldwin was regrading what we now call toxic masculinity and intersectionality, and how he laid bare the issue of child sex abuse in the Black community, something still taboo today.
The relationship between Haul and Arthur is the heart of this sprawling novel and I wish more media showed Black and brown men openly expressing their affection for each other, be that platonic or romantic. And speaking of romance, I loved how this book centered Black gay love as being natural and positive, especially given the time it was set in.
However, the passages describing Julia’s father sexually abusing her were hard to get through, And I can see how they could turn off people.
If I had one complaint, it’s, as previously mentioned, how unfocused the first half was. However, this didn’t take away from the listening experience. And by the end, I was on the verge of tears.
Overall, I give Just Above My Head 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. I can’t recommend this book enough.
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