Dear Gosei: A young man confronting his past

John, a good-looking, and athletic 14-year-old from an affluent family in the suburbs of Los Angeles, is a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of his uncle. Family interests will prevail above all else. The mother decides to keep the incident secret to avoid scandal and the bad reputation of the family. The boy's life is forever changed by this tragic experience which destroys his hopes of becoming a competitive swimmer and leaves him feeling helpless and alone.

Over time, however, thanks to his resilient and tenacious spirit, he overcomes his obstacles and returns to his former academic and athletic success. John and his girlfriend Val, who seem to have a rock-solid relationship, become the most popular couple at school. In reality, he doesn't live like his friends because of his tragic past, insecurity, sexual confusion, and toxic family. Although everything appears normal, neither the family behaves naturally nor does John shake off the weight of his past.

His uncle considers John his favorite nephew but ignores the harm inflicted on the boy. His mother wishes to keep the secret. His father and brother, devoutly religious, make him feel like an outsider at all times, dictating family life with an iron fist and a handful of obsolete rules.

To reclaim his self-respect, he will confront his past, demanding explanations from his uncle and mother, each guilty of having a great impact on his harrowing youth. In this journey of self-discovery, he will explore his priorities, career, friendships, and dysfunctional family. John knows that he must face the future head-on to be at peace with himself.

DEAR GOSEI is the debut novel of Jorge Bosch, born and educated in Barcelona, Spain, now a resident of Los Angeles, California. The book hopes to captivate the reader with its well-grounded and vividly portrayed characters, and participants in a story that will keep you interested until the end. The story takes place at two points in the protagonist's life: firstly when John is molested as a young boy and then again when he finally decides to take charge of his life and confront his family 12 years later. Two central themes steer the narrative: sexual abuse, as real as life itself, and a controversial subject treated with sensitivity and empathy, and John's personal development, as he seeks to deal with the truth about what happened to him. He struggles to find his place in the world by accepting his homosexuality and the person he loves. DEAR GOSEI, a romantic drama with touches of a psychological novel, fast-paced and minimalist, is set in the capital of Southern California and takes a critical view of the traditional and old-fashioned family it portrays.