The Salvation Mongers: Common Threads in the Life [Paperback]

Though The Salvation Mongers is a work of fiction, it builds its suspenseful, engaging plot upon the philosophies of that actual movement, and the ordeals of its actual victims.

Most people assume that these groups mean well and couldn't possibly hurt. This novel suggests otherwise; the book's afterword (a non-fiction essay) proves otherwise.

From my research into the ex-gay movement, and from my conversations with people who have seen the rotten fruit of its labor, I know that this work of fiction bares more truth than any of the promises that so-called "reparative therapy" makes.

Donaghe creates believable, tortured characters. I've met all the "types" he portrays in The Salvation Mongers, including some of the more sinister characters. I've also seen the beauty of the New Mexico landscape that provides an effective contrast for the ugliness that Donaghe exposes.

This book is both alluring and repulsive in its accuracy. Please read it before you join or fund an ex-gay group.

In the heat of summer, Kelly and ten other men arrive at the Lion's Mouth Christian Ranch in New Mexico's Guadalupe Mountains for the 18-week program. And so begins a compelling and gripping story as Kelly attempts to maintain his individuality and common sense in the face of religious fundamentalism, inadequate nutrition, brainwashing, and predatory behavior by some of those in charge.

The epistolary narrator gradually draws the reader into the the bizarre rules of the camp, a world where mostly miserable, self-hating men try to squelch their natural inclinations. They're watched closely as they eat poorly prepared meals in a mess hall, sleep in a tent together, and work in small teams like prisoners or soldiers. At 35, Kelly is one of the oldest recruits. Earlier in life, he had been in the military, but the contrast between Army life and this experience is remarkable, and he writes, "Free time in the army was not gloomy. Guys played cards, cursed and laughed, wrestled, slapped each other on the shoulders, or fought loudly. Here, except for the scratching of pens on paper, the turning of a page, or the sniffling of a runny nose, I can almost hear the thoughts of the recruits like a continuous whispering, or a sibilant stream of rushing water, washing over rocks. No one is happy."

Even in the mind-numbing and restrictive environment, and despite rules against getting close to the other men, Kelly makes friends. This includes Michael, who is only a minor character, but is very endearing and further raises Kelly's feelings of protectiveness toward his fellow recruits. As time goes on, Kelly suspects that some of the men are being maltreated after hours and while on certain isolated work details. Sure enough, a series of events occur that verify his suspicions, and along the way, the author ramps up the tension. Will Kelly be a victim, too? Will the camp officials (particularly "Paul, the chipmunk Nazi") discover that Kelly is a spy? Are they all in danger? Who will get out alive?

Donaghe is a talented author with a deft touch. He does a frighteningly convincing job showing the sincere and pious surface the camp preacher and the main henchmen project while Kelly subtly describes the angry, hateful, homophobic underpinnings of their tactics. The minister is a caricature of a preacher, not really a bad man, just misguided and too stupid to see the evil two feet beyond the edge of his vision. Nor does the preacher see that the real evil does not come from the recruits, but from his own trusted camp leader.

At times violent, gritty and rough, the novel is increasingly intense, but it is not entirely without humor. Kelly has a wry way of looking at the world. Still, the Salvation Mongers is not a book for the faint-hearted. The violence, brainwashing, and shaming that occurs hurts one's heart while, at the same time, it mirrors the internal struggles that the men are faced with. It is Kelly's optimism, his belief in his own goodness, and his strength of heart that carry this book through to the end, at which point the reader will have completed a journey with him. That journey ultimately affirms that the acceptance of one's sexual orientation--and that of others--should not be shame-filled and full of pain.

Lori L. Lake is a reviewer for Midwest Books Review and the author of GUN SHY, UNDER THE GUN, and RICOCHET IN TIME.