Based on the first English-language Gay Novel, "Live and Learn" by Gothic author Francis Lathom, "Fortune's Lot" is a retelling that brings the historically-significant but nearly-lost work back into the public eye. Originally written as part of Lathom's series of Gothic romances, which were extremely popular in his day, he gained notoriety (of a sort) when Jane Austen included one of earlier works, "The Midnight Bell," in a list of "dreadful books" listed in "Northanger Abbey."
"Fortune's Lot" follows the roundabout adventures of a young man known only as the town barber's nephew as he rises in fortune and power during England of the 1820s. Before Queen Victoria, before Charles Dickens, Lathom's works hinted at same-sex relations, but due to the social climate of the time, he could not be more open about his own predilection. This retelling brings the same-sex aspects to the forefront, allowing the narrator to describe his feelings and thoughts as he learns to navigate Regency society.
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