While England Sleeps

David Leavitt has earned high praise for his empathetic portrayal of human sexuality and the complexities of intimate relationships. Now Leavitt moves beyond precisely controlled domestic drama to create a historical novel set against the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe. While England Sleeps tells the story of a love affair between an aristocratic young British writer, Brian Botsford, and Edward Phelan, an idealistic working-class employee of the London Underground and a Communist party member. When the strains of class difference and sexual taboo impel Edward to volunteer to fight against Franco in Spain, Brian pursues him across Europe and into the violent chaos of war.