Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

condition: great (reflects age of book)

Giovanni’s Room: A Dangerous Liaison in Post-War Paris

David, a young American adrift in 1950s Paris, anticipates his fiancée’s return from Spain. However, his world is irrevocably altered when he encounters Giovanni, an alluring Italian bartender.

Drawn into a passionate affair, David finds himself entangled in a whirlwind of desire and confusion. After three intense months, his fiancée’s return forces a reckoning. In a desperate attempt to conform, David denies his sexuality and abandons Giovanni, choosing the perceived safety of marriage.

But this fateful decision unleashes a torrent of tragedy, longing, and profound regret, forever haunting the gilded cage of his chosen life.