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John of John
Douglas Stuart
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Grove Atlantic | Grove Press
416 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | LGBTQIAP+ | Literary Fiction
Another sheep book! I have to start this review with my love of Ella; she is John’s (Cal’s) grandmother, and she reminded me of my own grandmother (and mom) at times. The titular John of the story (also known as Cal) is an art school grad who comes back home to Harris because he ran out of cash in the big city (Edinburgh). Cal’s family is very traditional, and being gay makes it tough for him to live up to his family’s expectations. Cal’s dad is a sheep farmer and a preacher who dislikes his son’s long hair and modernness. Ella is Cal’s maternal grandmother, and she is a lot more laid-back than her son-in-law. By the end, we find out why Cal’s dad has such issues. It was an unexpected twist to the story.
I love how Stuart writes about Scotland; it’s so pretty. I visited there years ago and will never forget the landscape. But at the same time, Harris seems to be a very isolated place, not just in location but in the way the church rules—rule all. How can a person stay in such a tight community with so many rules and expectations? You can’t just be your own true self. The story takes place during the shearing of the lambs, and we get a good dose of farm life and weaving the tweed from the sheep; this was a bit boring to read about after a while.
This is such a beautifully written story with heavy themes and a wonderful location. There is plenty of family tension, so it makes the beautiful writing seem less flowery. Once again, Stuart writes a fabulous novel about the heartbreak of family—this time between father and son. I like the way he deals with religion, repressed feelings, and secrets. The characters are all flawed and feel like real human beings. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to struggle with your identity in such a structured atmosphere. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, it’s a wonderful character-driven story that was deeply moving.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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